Card, Keypad or Mobile Access: Choosing Credentials for a Small Office

Choosing a card access system for an office starts with the credentials your team will actually carry every day. An access control system is only as practical as the credentials people use with it. The right choice depends on how many people need access, how often that list changes, how sensitive the doors are, and how your team prefers to work. Many offices end up with more than one type.

Proximity and smart cards or key fobs are the most familiar option. They are fast to use, inexpensive to replace and easy to remove from the system when someone leaves. The downside is that they can be lost or shared, and some older card formats can be copied. Newer encrypted smart credentials are much harder to clone and are worth considering for new systems.

Keypads remove the need to carry anything, which makes them convenient for back doors, storage rooms and shared spaces. Their weakness is that codes get shared and rarely changed. Individual codes per person help, and keypads that combine a card with a PIN add a second layer for sensitive doors.

Phone-based access lets staff use a smartphone or smartwatch in place of a card. People rarely forget their phone, credentials can be issued and revoked remotely, and modern systems use encrypted credentials that are difficult to copy. It does depend on staff having compatible phones, and you still need a fallback such as a card for anyone who does not.

A common setup for small and mid-sized offices is mobile or card access on the main entrance and suite doors, a keypad on a secondary door, and high-security mechanical keys for utility rooms and as an override for every electronic door. Arrowhead plans access control door by door so each opening gets the right level of control without overspending.