Definition of key card

The term "key card" refers to a small plastic card that is commonly used for access control, hotel room entry, and payment transactions. The origination of this term can be traced back to the early 1970s when companies started using magnetic stripe technology to store and retrieve information on employee identification cards. These cards served as a substitute for traditional keys, which provided physical access to secured areas such as offices and buildings. Over time, the technology behind these cards evolved, with the introduction of smart cards that incorporated microprocessors and memory chips, enabling more complex access control and payment functions. The term "key card" persisted, however, due to its easy-to-understand and widely-used reputation. Today, key cards are used in a variety of settings, including transportation systems, electronic toll collection, access control in buildings, and hotel guest room entry. Since these cards are reusable and can be easily replenished with new data, they are a more cost-effective and secure alternative to traditional keys, which are easily duplicated and lost. In summary, the term "key card" reflects the evolution of access control technology from traditional keys to smart cards, with its origins in the use of magnetic stripe technology for employee identification cards in the 1970s.