RFID Card Printing in India: Match Your eSSL, ZKTeco or Door Reader First, Then Print

Short answer: Find out what your reader reads before you print a card. eSSL and ZKTeco terminals take 125 kHz EM cards, which their spec sheets call "ID card", or 13.56 MHz MIFARE cards, called "IC card", and several models ship with either module or an HID one. Tap-test two samples, note the number the software shows, then fix chip, numbering, encoding and artwork. On our store, plain 125 kHz cards are listed at Rs 10 and printed ID cards from Rs 30, ex-GST.

Written for HR and admin teams, facility managers, security integrators and the print shops they buy from: anyone ordering cards for an attendance terminal, door reader, hotel lock or car-park reader already on the wall. Our RFID card buyer guide explains the card types; this post is about ordering and printing them.

How do you find out which card your eSSL, ZKTeco or door reader reads?

A card made for one frequency is invisible to a reader built for another. 125 kHz (LF) proximity cards are the long-standing attendance and door card. 13.56 MHz (HF) covers MIFARE and NFC. UHF cards, read from a metre or more, belong at barriers and vehicle gates, where Indian readers use the licence-exempt 865–868 MHz band under G.S.R. 853(E). Check in this order:

1. Read the spec sheet in the vendor's words. eSSL's page for its AiFace-Mars terminal lists "125KHz ID card(EM) / 13.56MHz IC card (MF)" modules, with the ID card standard and the IC card optional. Its USB enrolment readers come as the CR10E (125 kHz proximity) and CR10M (13.56 MHz MIFARE). Read "ID" or "EM" as 125 kHz and "IC" or "MF" as 13.56 MHz; treat a model suffix such as E or M as a hint, not proof.
2. Check the unit, not the model. ZKTeco India lists the card function as optional on the K40 Pro (ID or IC card) and the IN01-A (ID, IC or HID). Two terminals with the same model name can need different cards, so check the menu, invoice or installer's records for yours.
3. Tap-test two known samples. Present one 125 kHz and one 13.56 MHz card at the enrolment screen; the one that returns a number gives the frequency. Ask for one of each through our sample request page.
4. Hold an existing card to a phone. An NFC-enabled Android phone with a tag-reading app detects most 13.56 MHz cards and cannot see 125 kHz cards, so silence points to LF.
5. Look for HID. eSSL's AiFace-Mars+HID verifies by face, HID card or password. Such models need HID-format credentials, usually supplied through your integrator; do not assume a generic card will read.

Brand names here describe compatibility only and belong to their owners. Hardware revisions change, so the tap test outranks any table.

Which chip should you print on?

• EM4200 or TK4100 (125 kHz, read-only). A factory-set ID that cannot be changed, so you either print that ID or link the card to a person at enrolment.
• T5577 (125 kHz, writable). Can be programmed with a chosen ID in EM format to match an existing numbering plan. The same property means it can be used to copy an EM card.
• MIFARE Classic 1K (13.56 MHz). Many attendance systems use only its UID (eSSL's CR10M enrolment reader reads the card number only); the sector memory serves canteen wallets, hotel locks and some access systems.
• NTAG (13.56 MHz NFC). Phone-readable, for NFC business cards and tap-to-open links. Some 13.56 MHz terminals read an NTAG UID, but test first.
• Dual-frequency LF-HF. Two chips in one CR80 body, for sites running both reader types or moving between them.

How are RFID cards printed, and what changes the cost?

• Pre-printed (offset or screen) before lamination. Artwork goes on PVC sheets, the chip inlay is laminated between them, and cards are punched out. Best for one design in volume; set-up makes very short runs dear per card.
• Digital printing at the factory. Suits short runs and variable data: names, photos, QR codes, numbers. Our printed card listings offer full-colour offset or digital printing, gloss or matt.
• Your own direct-to-card printer. A desktop ID card printer adds names and photos to blank white cards as staff join. ISO/IEC 7810 sets a nominal card thickness of 0.76 mm; our printed RFID ID card is a CR80 card listed at 760 microns.
• Numbering in a separate pass, often laser-engraved or printed after the main design.

Thick "clamshell" cards are a different product: ZKTeco India describes its ID Thick Card as an ABS shell with a PVC cover label, so check a thick card's stated thickness against your printer's supported range. Slot punching is the other trap. Punch only cards built for it and fix the punch position at order time, because a slot through the antenna can stop the card working.

What moves the price per card: the chip (dual-frequency and hybrid cost more than single-chip cards); one printed side or two; variable data on each card; encoding or reading every chip; finishes such as a signature strip, magnetic stripe or hologram; slot punching; and quantity, which spreads proofing and set-up across more cards.

How should cards be numbered so the printed number matches the terminal?

A 125 kHz EM card has one factory-set ID that can be written down more than one way. EM cards are often printed with a 10-digit number, sometimes next to a second number in "facility,card" form. That form comes from 26-bit Wiegand, a common format for the data a reader sends to its controller: per the Wikipedia entry on the Wiegand interface, one parity bit, an 8-bit facility code (0–255), a 16-bit ID (0–65,535) and a trailing parity bit. eSSL's KR500M card reader, for example, lists 26-bit and 34-bit Wiegand output.

Take a card whose ID reads 0012345678 in decimal. Its last 24 bits give facility 188 and card 24910. A supplier who prints "0012345678" and a terminal that shows "188,24910" describe the same card, yet on paper they disagree, and a whole batch gets called "not matching". The fix: enrol one sample on your terminal, photograph the number it shows, and send that photo with the order.

Should the supplier encode the card or only read its UID?

For attendance and most door access the terminal needs only the card's ID, so nothing is written to the chip. Encoding matters in four cases: T5577 cards set to a chosen ID; MIFARE sector data for canteen wallets, hotel locks and some access systems, where the layout and keys belong to the system owner and stored-value cards should not run on default keys; NFC cards carrying a link or contact record, which is what most people mean by "NFC card printing" and where print and link must be checked as a pair; and UHF cards with the EPC your gate software expects.

In a typical hotel lock system the front-desk encoder writes room access at check-in, so the printer's job is a printed card with the chip the lock accepts. To check or enrol cards in-house, our LF USB desktop reader (Rs 1,500) reads 125 kHz cards into a PC with no driver to install; our HF desktop reader writer (Rs 4,500) reads and writes 13.56 MHz.

What does RFID card printing cost in India in 2026?

Listed prices on our store on 3 October 2026, per card, excluding GST, with notes from each product page:

Each product page also sets a minimum quantity for online orders, and it differs by product, so check it before ordering. We do not publish volume slabs; the per-card price falls with quantity, so send quantity, chip, sides, personalisation and encoding through our bulk RFID pricing page. Turnaround depends on artwork approval, print method and chip stock, so ask for a dated dispatch commitment with the proof.

For a market reference, a Mumbai seller's IndiaMART listing, checked on 3 October 2026, showed 125 kHz (TK4100) and 13.56 MHz 1K/4K card printing at Rs 20 a piece with a 200-piece minimum, and hotel key card printing at Rs 19.50. It does not say whether GST, numbering or encoding are included, and it tags both passive cards "Active RFID", a reminder to check marketplace spec fields against a sample. Prices change; this is not a quotation.

What artwork and data files does the card printer need?

• Size: CR80, 85.6 × 54 mm, portrait or landscape decided before design.
• Artwork: vector logo (PDF, AI, EPS or CDR) with fonts outlined; photos at 300 dpi; CMYK, naming any Pantone colour that must match.
• Bleed and safe zone: as your printer specifies, with text clear of the edges and any slot-punch area.
• Data file: one row per card (name, employee ID, department, photo file name, card number), with photos named by employee ID.
• Back side: a return address, validity, terms of use and a signature strip if wanted.
• Number format: the photo of your terminal showing an enrolled sample's number.
• Approval: a signed proof for every job, and a physical sample before a large batch.

A card is lost: should you copy it or replace it?

At 125 kHz, copying a card is easy because a T5577 can carry the same ID as an EM card, and MIFARE Classic's Crypto-1 cipher was broken years ago; our RFID cloning and encryption guide covers both. A copy is the wrong answer to a lost card. The lost card still works if someone finds it, the system cannot tell copy from original, and your records now have two cards behind one person.

The authorised route is quick: block the lost card's number in the software, issue a new card with a new number, enrol it, and record the swap in your card register. That revocability is why cards make a sensible fallback to biometrics: you cannot reissue a fingerprint, but you can replace a card the same day. Our post on DPDP Rules and biometric attendance explains why employers need a working card alternative.

What can you learn from a tender that names card brands?

The Chandigarh Administration Engineering Department's tender E3/47W/138, for RFID cards and integration with the existing visitor management system at the Punjab & Haryana High Court, Sector 1, is listed on the TenderDetail aggregator with an estimate of Rs 46.70 lakh and an EMD of Rs 93,400. Its corrigendum table lists extensions dated 23 September, 28 September and 1 October 2026, the last moving bid submission to 5 October 2026. The bill of quantities asks for 10,000 programmable 125 kHz cards (2 × 5,000) with an external number on each, data verification, printing and programming, a technician, and integration with an existing server described as Solus make.

• The make lists disagree. One line names HID, Impinj and Avery Dennison; a later line names HID, Impinj and Schlage. Impinj's site describes the company as a provider of RAIN (UHF) RFID chips and readers, and Avery Dennison's RFID site describes an inlay range for the UHF, HF and NFC bands. Neither page offers a 125 kHz proximity card, so the make list may have been carried over from another document; bidders should raise it as a pre-bid query rather than guess.
• The parts that matter are stated: 125 kHz, an external number, printer compatibility and the server the cards must work with. Those, not brand names, decide whether a card works.
• The estimate is not a card price. It covers project management, data handling, printing, a technician and integration. Dividing Rs 46.70 lakh by 10,000 gives Rs 467, which says nothing about what a printed 125 kHz card costs.

For a private buyer the lesson is the same: name the reader, the frequency and the number format, add "or equivalent" if you name a make, and ask for a physical sample before the batch. Details are as listed when checked on 3 October 2026, and the official Chandigarh e-procurement documents govern. This is buying guidance, not procurement or legal advice.

Identium Tech Solutions, a New Delhi RFID manufacturer founded in 2010, prints and encodes RFID cards and ships them across India. Send the terminal model, a photo of an enrolled card's number and your artwork through our contact page, and we will confirm which card your reader needs and send a proof.

Frequently asked questions

Which RFID card works with an eSSL or ZKTeco attendance machine?

It depends on the card module fitted, not the brand. Terminals with an "ID card" module read 125 kHz EM-type cards, those with an "IC card" module read 13.56 MHz MIFARE cards, and "+HID" versions need HID credentials. Several models ship with any of these, so tap-test a 125 kHz and a 13.56 MHz sample on your own unit before ordering.

How can I tell whether my biometric machine reads 125 kHz or 13.56 MHz cards?

Check the spec sheet or menu for "ID card" (125 kHz) or "IC card" (13.56 MHz), then confirm with a tap test using one sample of each. If you already have a working card, hold it to an NFC-enabled Android phone with a tag-reading app: the phone cannot see 125 kHz cards, so silence points to LF.

Can the number printed on the card match the number in my attendance software?

Yes, if you fix the format first. The same chip ID can appear as a 10-digit number or as a facility code and card number taken from 26-bit Wiegand. Enrol one sample on your terminal, photograph the number it shows, and have the supplier print every card in exactly that format.

What is the bulk price of printed RFID cards in India?

On our store, plain 125 kHz and 13.56 MHz cards are listed at Rs 10, NFC cards at Rs 20, LF-HF dual-frequency cards at Rs 28 and printed RFID ID cards from Rs 30, all ex-GST. Volume prices depend on quantity, chip, print sides, personalisation and encoding, and are quoted through the bulk pricing page.

Is it safe to copy a lost RFID card?

No. A copy carries the same ID as the lost card, so the lost card keeps working if someone finds it and the system cannot tell the two apart. Block the lost card's number in the software, issue a new card with a new number, enrol it, and record the replacement in your card register.

What is NFC card printing?

NFC card printing combines a printed PVC card with a 13.56 MHz NFC chip, usually an NTAG, that a smartphone can read. The chip is encoded with a link or contact record, so the job is printing plus encoding, and each card's link should be tested against its print before dispatch. NFC cards are listed at Rs 20 on our store.

Can I order RFID card printing online instead of from a shop near me?

Yes. Card printing does not need a counter visit. Send the reader details, a photo of an enrolled card's number, your artwork and the data file, approve a proof, and the cards are shipped to you. Ask for a physical sample first if the batch is large or the terminal is unusual.