Wood RFID card
Standard RFID Wood Card
FSC-Certified Body
Quick answer
The Standard RFID Wood Card is an FSC-certified maple, bamboo, or beech card with a laminated RFID/NFC inlay and a 2–5 cm typical read range. It is the entry point for hospitality, membership, and luxury-branding programs that want a biodegradable card without giving up read range or chip choice. Available with NTAG 213/215/216, NTAG 424 DNA, MIFARE Classic 1k, MIFARE Plus EV2, MIFARE DESFire EV2/EV3, or ICODE SLIX inlays; MOQ is 500 pieces.
- FSC-certified maple, bamboo, or beech wood body laminated with an RFID or NFC inlay.
- Compatible with most NTAG, MIFARE, and ICODE chip families on request.
- Read range 2–5 cm with NTAG 21x; up to 7 cm with MIFARE Plus EV2 on a quality reader.
Used in these industries
Deployments where this product is referenced on our industry landing pages.
At a glance
Use these short answers to decide whether this page matches the project before moving into the detail.
Specification
Material: FSC-certified maple, bamboo, or beech (custom species available). Dimensions: standard CR80 (85.6 × 54 × 0.84 mm); custom thickness 0.6–1.2 mm.
Marking and finishing
Laser engraving (recommended for wood): logo, text, QR, sequential number. UV-printing for full-color artwork.
Next step
Ready to move forward? Start your inquiry to get specific answers for this project.
Start a wood card sample request- Sourcing
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- MOQ: 500 pieces per chip family and finish combination.
- Sample turnaround: 7–10 working days (longer than plastic due to wood lamination cure).
- Reorder lead time: 12–18 working days.
- Encoding (UID lock, NDEF, custom blocks) included in unit price.
- Best-fit applications
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- Hotel and resort key cards (premium and eco-positioning programs).
- Membership and loyalty cards for luxury or sustainability brands.
- Wedding and event invitations with embedded NFC review or RSVP links.
- NFC business cards for executives.
- Discount or gift cards with biodegradable materials story.
- Sustainability
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- FSC chain-of-custody certified wood stock; CoC documentation ships with each order.
- Supports EUDR (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) due-diligence statements for EU market placement.
- End of life: wood body biodegrades; RFID inlay routed through standard e-waste channels.
- Typical pricing
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USD 0.60–2.50 /pc by material (typical FOB Shenzhen range) — firm quote in one business day.
Commercial terms
- MOQ
- Varies by SKU — stock items from 100 pcs; custom production typically 200-1,000 pcs
- Lead time
- Production 2-3 weeks after artwork and encoding sign-off; reorders on a 3-4 week cycle
- Samples
- Free samples and RF test report with every order; courier at customer cost
- Payment
- 50% T/T deposit, 50% before shipment; Net 30/60 for established accounts; LC for large orders
- Shipping
- FOB Shenzhen / Yantian; DHL, FedEx or EMS air freight; sea LCL / FCL for volume
- Response
- Itemized quote within one business day, Mon-Fri (UTC+8)
Who the standard wood card is for
Most key cards are a small piece of PVC that will outlive the hotel that issued them. The Standard RFID Wood Card is the fix for programs that would rather not laminate that thought into the welcome kit: same chips, same locks, same encoding as a plastic card, with a body your sustainability report can actually cite. It is the workhorse SKU of our wood family — stocked species, standard CR80 footprint, encoding included. Still weighing materials? Start with the hotel key card material selection guide or the head-to-head PVC vs wood vs PLA comparison.
- Hotel and resort programs that want eco positioning guests can feel at check-in — without touching locks or encoders.
- Membership, loyalty, and gift programs where the card is the brand touchpoint, not just a credential.
- Weddings, galas, and product launches running NFC invitations with an RSVP or review link.
- Procurement teams that need the sustainability claim to survive an audit, not just a mood board.
Specifications — the tender-template table
Everything a spec sheet asks, in one pass. The construction is simple to say and fussy to do well: a routed cavity, a 13.56 MHz inlay, and a natural material with opinions about humidity. Hotel lock ecosystems get their own treatment on the ASSA ABLOY-compatible card page.
| Attribute | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Body material | FSC-certified maple, bamboo, or beech | Walnut, cherry, and oak on request with a species premium and longer lead time |
| Format | CR80 footprint, 85.6 × 54 × 0.84 mm standard build | ISO/IEC 7810 nominal for PVC is 0.76 mm — wood runs slightly thicker; confirm insert-style lock slots before rollout |
| Custom thickness | 0.6–1.2 mm | Thinner builds suit mailers; thicker builds feel more substantial in hand |
| Veneer skin | 0.3–0.5 mm over the inlay cavity | The engraving face; sealed with matte or gloss lacquer, food-safe option for hospitality |
| Chip options — 13.56 MHz HF | NTAG 213/215/216, NTAG 424 DNA, MIFARE Classic 1k, MIFARE Plus EV2, MIFARE DESFire EV2/EV3, ICODE SLIX | Per-chip memory figures are in the brief above; DESFire and Plus families are the hotel-lock staples |
| LF option — 125 kHz | EM4100/4305 | For legacy access systems; no NFC phone interaction |
| Read range | 2–5 cm typical; up to 7 cm with MIFARE Plus EV2 on a high-power reader | Wood moisture shifts antenna tuning slightly, so every card is read-tested before shipping |
| Personalization | Laser engraving, UV printing, hot-stamp foil, embossed numbering | Factory-applied — wood does not feed desktop thermal-retransfer printers |
| Encoding | UID lock, NDEF, custom blocks — included in unit price | Delivered ready for issuance in your lock or membership system |
| MOQ | 500 pieces | Per chip family and finish combination |
| Samples | 7–10 working days | Wood lamination cure adds time over plastic samples |
| Reorder lead time | 12–18 working days | Plan reissue stock around this window |
The FSC part — sustainability that survives an audit
A sustainability claim without paperwork is interior decorating. FSC chain-of-custody certification is the paperwork: a third-party-audited trail from managed forest to card factory, document by document. If the program's story leans on renewal speed instead, the bamboo card regrows its raw material in years rather than decades; for grain-forward premium builds, the hardwood veneer card is the flagship.
- FSC chain-of-custody documentation for the wood stock ships with your order — file it with the program's sustainability records.
- Verify any FSC claim (ours included) against the FSC public certificate search before you buy.
- EU buyers: wood products placed on the EU market fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR) due diligence — CoC records feed that statement.
- End of life is a split, not a slogan: the wood body biodegrades; the inlay (chip + antenna) goes through standard e-waste channels, and we can supply the BOM for downstream processing.
Wood vs PVC — the honest trade
PVC wins most spec-sheet arguments; wood wins the moment the guest picks the card up. Buying wood well means knowing exactly which argument you are in — and what each material does after checkout.
| Dimension | Standard wood card | PVC card |
|---|---|---|
| Service life, daily hotel use | 18–24 months before visible surface wear | 36–48 months |
| End of life | Wood body biodegrades; inlay to e-waste | Persists for decades; landfill default |
| Supply story | FSC-certified, documented chain of custody | Fossil-derived; no custody story to tell |
| Personalization | Laser engraving (permanent), UV print | Thermal retransfer, full-color, printable in-house |
| Hand feel | Warm, matte, visible grain | Smooth, uniform, standard |
| Best fit | Eco and luxury positioning, premium tiers | High-volume utility issuance |
Where wood says no
Wood declines a few briefs, and it is cheaper to hear the no before the pilot order than after it. The pattern to remember: standing water, autoclaves, and any job where the card is disposable by design.
- One-time event passes: at disposable volumes the per-piece economics belong to PVC or paper — wood is a keeper, not a throwaway.
- Wet environments: humidity and standing water can warp or stain the wood. Specify the sealed lacquer finish, and keep it off pool-deck duty.
- Edge-to-edge color: grain shows through artwork. Smooth full-bleed color needs UV printing or a veneer overlay — or, honestly, a PVC card.
- Industrial laundry and autoclave cycles: wood does not survive them. That job belongs to PPS or silicone tags.
Applications — where the wood card earns its keep
The standard wood card slots into any 13.56 MHz workflow a PVC card already serves, so the question is where the material premium pays back. Four places, reliably. For lock-side planning start at the hotel key cards solution; if door hardware favors a fob, the wooden keyfob carries the same story on a keyring.
Hotel and resort key cards
Eco-positioned properties hand guests the brand at check-in. DESFire and Plus chip options cover the major lock platforms; guests notice the card before the lobby.
Membership and loyalty
Luxury and sustainability brands use the card as a renewal-day touchpoint — engraved names and sequential numbering included.
Weddings and events
NFC invitations with an RSVP or review link, in a keepsake material that does not read as single-use plastic.
Executive NFC cards
Tap-to-share contact cards on the same wood body; for the fully engraved vCard product, see the engraved wooden NFC business card.
Personalization and encoding
Wood personalization happens at the factory, not at the front desk — laser engraving is permanent by design, and desktop card printers decline wood politely. Encoding is unaffected: the chips are written exactly as they would be in a PVC body. For full-color artwork pipelines see the custom-printed NFC card; for lock-data workflows, the hotel key card encoding guide.
- Laser engraving (recommended for wood): permanent dark-on-grain logos, text, QR codes, and sequential numbering — no ink, no lamination step.
- UV printing: full-color artwork directly on the wood face when the brand needs more than monochrome.
- Hot-stamp foil and embossed numbering on request for premium tiers.
- Encoding included: UID lock, NDEF records, and custom data blocks are written before shipping at no extra unit cost.
How we test before shipping
Wood is a natural material; the QC pass is what keeps natural from drifting into variable. Every wood card clears the same functional gate as our PVC cards, plus a dimensional check the plastic never needs.
- 100% functional read test on every encoded card.
- Dimensional check: thickness within ±0.05 mm, flatness within 0.2 mm.
- 24-hour lamination cure rest before engraving or shipping.
- Engraving QC: laser depth, contrast, and registration checked visually.
- Pack-out in individual sleeves or a branded box on request.
Useful next pages
Use these linked product, guide and comparison pages to keep the next click specific and practical.
Related card SKUs
Cards in the same family that share chip options or are commonly compared with wood.
Compare and decide
Comparison and guide pages that help finalize the wood-versus-other-material decision.
The wood family, mapped
Every wood-bodied credential we make — pick the format and the story that fits the program.
FAQ
Can the wood card be used in hotel locks?
Yes, with the right chip family. MIFARE Plus EV2 and MIFARE DESFire EV3 wood cards work with Saflok, VingCard, Onity, Salto, and Häfele Dialock locks. Confirm the lock model and firmware version when ordering so we match the chip-family expectation.
How long does the wood card last in daily hospitality use?
Expect 18–24 months of typical hotel-room use before mechanical wear becomes visible. Lamination is sealed and the chip is unaffected, but the wood surface eventually shows scratching from key chains and pockets. PVC lasts 36–48 months in the same use.
Can I get a custom wood species?
Maple, bamboo, and beech are stocked. Walnut, cherry, and oak are available on request with longer lead times and a small species premium. We will share dimensional samples before committing to a production run.
Is the wood card recyclable?
The wood body is biodegradable. The chip and antenna are recyclable through standard e-waste channels. We do not yet offer a take-back program; if your sustainability audit needs end-of-life documentation, we can supply the chip and antenna BOM for downstream processing.
Can wood cards run through our existing card printers?
No. Wood cards do not feed through desktop thermal-retransfer or direct-to-card printers; personalization (laser engraving or UV printing) is done at the factory before shipping. Encoding is unaffected — front-desk and lock-system encoders write the chip exactly as they write a PVC card, because the chip families are identical.
What are the MOQ and lead times for the standard wood card?
MOQ is 500 pieces per chip family and finish combination. Samples take 7–10 working days because the wood lamination needs a full cure before engraving, and reorders ship in 12–18 working days. Encoding (UID lock, NDEF, custom blocks) is included in the unit price.
Is the wood FSC-certified, and what documentation comes with an order?
Yes. The stocked maple, bamboo, and beech bodies come from FSC chain-of-custody certified supply, and chain-of-custody documentation ships with the order. For EU buyers, that documentation supports the due-diligence statement required for wood products under the EU Deforestation Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115.
Does the wood body change the read range compared with PVC?
Slightly. A standard wood card reads at 2–5 cm on typical HF readers — the same band as PVC — and up to 7 cm with MIFARE Plus EV2 on a high-power reader. Wood's moisture content shifts antenna tuning a little more than PVC laminate does, which is why every card passes a 100% read test before shipping.
Sources & references
Primary standards, OEM datasheets and regulatory documents cited by this article. All URLs were verified on the access date shown below.
- FSC Chain of Custody Certification
Chain-of-custody certification system (FSC-STD-40-004 family) behind the card's FSC-certified wood claim.
- NTAG 213/215/216 — NFC Forum Type 2 Tag Compliant IC with 144/504/888 Bytes User Memory
Vendor page for the NTAG 21x chip options offered in this card — 13.56 MHz, ISO/IEC 14443 Type A.
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 — EU Deforestation Regulation
Due-diligence obligations for wood products placed on the EU market; FSC CoC records support the statement.
- ISO/IEC 7810 — Identification cards — Physical characteristics
ID-1 / CR80 dimension baseline referenced by the 85.6 × 54 mm format and the 0.76 mm PVC nominal.
Proud Tek is a Shenzhen-based RFID & NFC manufacturer supplying hotel chains, transit operators, event venues and retail brands worldwide. Every order includes free samples, RF testing and dedicated project support.
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