13.56 MHz

HF NFC Metal RFID Cards

HF NFC metal cards run at 13.56 MHz under ISO/IEC 14443A — the band shared by smartphone NFC, modern access readers, and most membership and event platforms. One frequency, three very different chip families: NFC tag for public phone tap, standard HF for compatible access platforms, high-security AES HF where the integrator requires secure multi-application credentials. The metal construction is the same engineering problem in every case; the chip decision belongs to the system.

HF / NFC route brief

Frequency	13.56 MHz
Best use	Modern access, NFC business cards, loyalty, events, hospitality, member ID, and phone-tap programs.
Chip route	NFC tag, standard HF, high-security AES HF family, or platform-required 13.56 MHz chip matched to the metal construction.
Phone behavior	Can be phone-readable when the chip and encoded record are selected for NFC behavior.
Encoding	NDEF URL, vCard, UID list, access data, member ID, QR or serial matching, and optional locking.
Approval check	Test target phones, readers, scanners, or locks in the final ferrite-shielded metal body.

Visual references

Champagne-gold metal NFC card beside a smartphone

Gunmetal metal RFID card at a secure reader

Copper metal RFID credential on a contactless reader

Brushed metal RFID card on an LF reader test bench

Gunmetal metal credential in front of UHF gate antennas

Metal RFID card encoding and QA workstation

Exploded metal RFID card shielding and antenna stack

One band, three chip families — match the family to the system.

NFC tag is the route when anyone's phone should read the card. Standard HF serves installed access platforms that expect it. High-security AES HF adds AES-secured applications for enterprise and campus estates. Picking the family from the reader specification first, then engineering the shielded metal stack around it, avoids the most common failure: a beautiful card the system cannot read.

Approve a working sample in the real environment.

Test target phones, readers, scanners, or locks in the final ferrite-shielded metal body.

Best uses

Modern access, NFC business cards, loyalty, events, hospitality, member ID, and phone-tap programs.
Metal card programs that can validate a finished encoded sample on the target reader
Projects that need print, serial, QR, packaging, and data handling reconciled in one approved brief

Frequently asked questions

When should I choose HF for a metal card?

When the program involves smartphone NFC, a modern 13.56 MHz access platform, or an event and membership system built on ISO/IEC 14443. It is the default band for new programs; LF exists mainly for legacy compatibility.

Are HF metal cards phone-readable?

They can be — that depends on the chip family and the encoded record, not the band alone. NFC tag with an NDEF record taps phones directly; standard and high-security HF are usually reader credentials rather than public tap experiences.

Why does an HF metal card need a working sample?

Metal detunes a 13.56 MHz antenna, so the ferrite or hybrid shielding, chip, thickness, and final finish are validated together — on the agreed phones, readers, or locks — before any batch is released.

Specification

Format	CR80 85.6 x 54 mm by default; custom outlines after RF review
Thickness	0.3 mm to 0.8 mm depending on construction
Minimum order	None — single samples to production runs
Production time	About one week after artwork and sample approval
RF construction	Antenna, ferrite or hybrid shielding, chip, metal faces, and edge stack specified together
Chip routes	NFC tag, standard HF, high-security AES HF, LF compatibility, and selected UHF by reader test
Marking options	Laser etch, deep engraving, UV print, white ink, enamel fill, QR, serial, and controlled cut-through
Approval flow	Finish sample, encoded working sample, reader check, pre-production approval
Frequency	13.56 MHz
Chip route	NFC tag, standard HF, high-security AES HF family, or platform-required 13.56 MHz chip matched to the metal construction.
Phone behavior	Can be phone-readable when the chip and encoded record are selected for NFC behavior.
Encoding	NDEF URL, vCard, UID list, access data, member ID, QR or serial matching, and optional locking.
Approval check	Test target phones, readers, scanners, or locks in the final ferrite-shielded metal body.