Infineon

These are Infineon SLE 5542 and SLE 5528 contact smart cards, sold in packs of 100, for systems that read the chip through physical contact. Buyers also call them contact chip cards or smart card blanks. They suit membership schemes, access control, loyalty programmes and any system where each card carries data a contact reader writes and checks.

Both cards are standard PVC, 85.6 x 54mm. That is the credit card size (CR80) your printer and reader hardware already expect. The contact pad sits in the usual ISO 7816-2 position.

The difference between the SLE 5542 and the SLE 5528 is chip memory. The SLE 5542 carries 256 bytes of EEPROM protected by a three-byte programmable security code, so write access to the card can be locked to whoever holds that code. The SLE 5528 carries 1,024 bytes, four times the memory, with a two-byte security code and byte-level write protection you can set permanently for values that should never change.

Choose the SLE 5542 where 256 bytes covers what each card needs to hold; it is also cheaper, £47 a pack against £48 for the SLE 5528. Choose the SLE 5528 for longer records or where you want individual bytes locked for good. Both cards take print from a standard ID card printer, working around the contact pad. A pack of 100 gives you a batch to encode and issue in one go.

If you are matching cards to an existing reader or issuing system, send us the details and Plastic ID will confirm compatibility before you order.