Choosing between cards, fobs and biometric readers can feel technical. Here is a plain comparison so you can choose based on your business, not a sales brochure.
Key cards and fobs
Pros: inexpensive, easy to issue, easy to cancel, can be reprogrammed. Cons: can be lost, lent or copied on cheaper systems.
Best for offices, small shops, shared buildings and property managers.
Biometric readers
Pros: nothing to carry, hard to share. Cons: cost more, can fail with dirty or damaged fingers, raise privacy questions, and need a backup.
Best for sensitive areas with few users.
PIN keypads
Pros: low cost, no card needed. Cons: codes are shared and shoulder-surfed.
Best as a second factor, or for low-risk doors.
Combining methods
A card plus a PIN, or a card plus fingerprint, offers stronger control for critical doors.
Questions to ask
- How many doors and users do you have?
- What happens when someone leaves?
- What happens if the power or network fails?
- Do exit doors always allow people out?
- Who manages the system?
Privacy note
If you use biometrics, tell staff what is stored and why. Follow the privacy rules that apply to your business.
Next step
See our access control and cloud access control pages. We help small businesses around Brampton and Vaughan choose systems that fit.
Choosing what people will actually use
Cards and fobs are cheap to issue and replace, and they work well for offices with many people. Biometric readers avoid lost credentials but can misread in wet or dirty conditions. PIN keypads need no card but codes are shared too easily.
Combining methods
High-security areas may use two factors, such as a card plus a PIN. Low-risk doors may use only a card.
Plan for administration
Someone must add and remove users, and that person needs a process for staff changes. Ask about the software, backups and support. See electric strikes and office lock failures.
Questions about a lock or key problem? Apna Locksmith is a Brampton-based mobile locksmith serving Brampton, Vaughan, Caledon, Etobicoke and Halton Hills. Call (289) 406-1500 or see our service areas.