Smart ID cards can give employee, student, and membership badges a number of features that other types of cards cannot. The thing that differentiates smart cards the most is their ability to store e-cash. A person can place a certain amount of money on his ID and then use it at onsite cafeterias, vending machines, gift shops, or parking garages. This aspect of the smart card has made it popular at a number of colleges, because a student's ID can also be used as his meal plan card, his dorm access card, and his bookstore debit card.

Most ID cards are written once and read many times. This means that if a cardholder is granted more access or has access taken away, a new card has to be created and the old one has to be disposed of. A smart ID card can be rewritten over and over again. As a person's information changes or as he spends his prepaid money, the card will remain up-to-date.

Who Should Use Smart Cards?

Due to the cost and technology involved with smart cards, they are not the right choice for everyone. They are only worth it in places that require a cardholder's information to be updated on a regular basis. They function as photo ID, access control, and debit card, so if all three uses are not required, it might be better to go with a less expensive type of ID format.

Along with universities, large corporations, and gyms, amusement parks tend to use smart cards the most. Amusement parks give them to season pass holders who can put money on the card that can then be spent on the grounds. The upscale gyms that employ smart card technology usually have products like shirts or sophisticated juice drinks or services like massages or spa treatments that members can buy. The card also allows a gym to signal out someone who is behind on monthly payments as soon as he uses his card to check in.