What Is A MIFARE Card?

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MIFARE Card
Credit: Identity People

Are you thinking of getting a MIFARE card? Derived from the term Mikron FARE Collection System, a MIFARE card is essentially a small brand of RFID chip that can be used anywhere – whether that be plastic cards or RFID wristbands.

With that, MIFARE cards can practically do anything as it’s in items such as bus passes, passes on the metro, student identification, loyalty cards, and even smartphones. What’s great about MIFARE cards is the fact that they’re known to be exceptionally reliable – more so than any other interface technologies and are a market leader in what they do.

Here, we’ll provide you with more information about MIFARE cards and their benefits.

Where are MIFARE cards used? 

As briefly mentioned above, MIFARE cards are used in a wide variety of settings, but more specifically they are used:

  • As transport ticketing in Moscow, London and San Francisco
  • In University campuses from the National University of Singapore to Cambridge University and more
  • In corporate buildings and hotels such as the Marriott, Hyatt, General Motors, the EU Commission and more.
  • In stadiums such as Istanbul, Manchester and even Sao Paulo

What are the different MIFARE products?

  1. MIFARE Ultralight

This particular product isn’t expensive and are often used for events that utilise disposable tickets. It only includes basic security features but does not include cryptography that you’ll get in other MIFARE products.

  1. MIFARE Classic

This particular product is a memory storage device and is reliable and low in cost. You can use this for corporate ID cards, stadium ticketing and more. In terms of the mechanisms that it has, the MIFARE classic has a memory section that’s divided into segments and blocks that come with simple security mechanisms.

Right now this particular product is also known as the MIFARE Classic 1K and comes with over 1,000 bytes of data storage.

  1. MIFARE Plus

If you’re looking for something that’s a little more powerful, you’ll want to go for the MIFARE Plus. Not only is it great for contactless smart card applications, but it’s also compatible with MIFARE Classic without any infrastructure security upgrades.

  1. MIFARE DESFire

Finally, we’ve got the MIFARE DESFire. It consists of three products and is great for solution developers and system operators that are looking to build smart card solutions that aren’t just reliable but also scalable. It’s great for identity, controlling access, and even micropayment solutions.

Getting the MIFARE Card

There you have it, a run-through of the MIFARE card and all the different products available. As seen from the above, the MIFARE card is certainly an exceptionally powerful product that’s now become a worldwide phenomenon.

What’s great about MIFARE products is also the fact that they come with varied levels of security, memory capacity and functionality – depending on what it is that you’re looking for. Originating in 1994, it’s evident that MIFARE cards have gained traction all around the world and are now used in both public and private-sector organisations worldwide.