Photo identification cards are commonplace in businesses, government buildings, schools, and hospitals throughout the world. The most basic cards simply feature a picture of an employee. This serves as a quick means of identification, but it does not do much more than that. However, there have been many advances in photo ID cards over the years that have made them effective security tools, and have helped companies to replace antiquated time clock systems.

Certain ID cards actually function as access control and attendance recorders. An employee swipes his card to gain entry into a building, and his personal information along with the date and time instantly register. This means that management and those who handle the payroll know exactly what hours each employee has worked.

Proximity and Smart Photo Identification Cards

The most popular form of photo ID card uses a magnetic strip. It works with a reader similarly to the way a credit card works with a credit card machine. The card is swiped, and if it is valid, the reader will trigger the door. Magnetic strip cards cost only about $1.00 or $2.00, so they offer a level of security for very little cost.

Smart cards and proximity cards are a bit more expensive than magnetic cards, but they offer better security and more features than the other cards. The proximity card does not have to come in direct contact with a reader. The encoded information on the card is more secure, and the card is harder to duplicate. Smart cards are extremely popular at universities and corporate "compounds," because along with providing access, they can also carry e-cash. This means that an employee or student can put a certain amount of money on the card that he can then use at onsite cafeterias, vending machines, parking meters, or in the case of college students, bookstores. Information on a smart photo ID card can be rewritten, so if a person is granted higher clearance, or has clearance stripped away, he won't have to get a new card.