MIFARE Cards Australia
MIFARE cards are used by Australian schools, universities, government agencies, and corporate organisations that need smart cards for access control, library systems, cashless payments, or student and staff ID. PPC has supplied genuine NXP MIFARE cards for more than 10 years, working with education institutions on MIFARE UID integration, and with corporates and government on DESFire-based access control deployments.
PPC has been a registered MIFARE partner for more than 10 years working widely with MIFARE Cards and solutions in the Education, Government and Corporate sectors.
Over this time we have developed unique software solutions in conjunction with CardExchange (Formerly ExchangeIT Our International Software Partner) to deliver an off the shelf flexible, yet powerful Card Production Software incorporating many features, including support for MIFARE Classic®, MIFARE DESFire®, 125Khz Prox Card, Powerful Python Scripting, LDAP integration and other database connectivity.
PPC is committed to working with MIFARE products and has consulted directly with NXP regarding the strategic product roadmap, so we understand what that might mean for the future of your applications and MIFARE implementations.
Genuine MIFARE Cards
MIFARE Card Types
| Card Type | Memory | Security Level | Best Use Case | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIFARE Classic 1K | 1KB | Standard | Access control, basic ID | Most widely deployed — broad reader compatibility |
| MIFARE Classic 4K | 4KB | Standard | Multi-application cards | Suits systems requiring more data storage per card |
| MIFARE DESFire EV2 | 2KB–8KB | High (AES 128-bit) | Secure access, transport, cashless payments | Recommended for new deployments requiring encryption |
| MIFARE DESFire EV3 | 2KB–8KB | Highest (AES 128-bit + enhanced) | High-security government, education, corporate | Current generation — best long-term choice |
MIFARE Card Products
The Future of MIFARE Cards
The future of MIFARE is with DESFire® and while we don’t envisage the Mifare Classic® and Mifare Ultralight® cards disappearing from the marketplace, over time DESFire cards will take their place.
DESFire cards offer a significantly increased level of security and do not rely on a secret key that once broken exposes all other cards to hacking as the Classic cards do.
DESFire cards are not backwards compatible with Mifare Classic applications stored on the card sectors but will work with many Unique ID (UID) based applications that read only the cards number.
For new implementations, even if you are not going to use the memory portion of the card we recommend that you seriously consider starting with a DESFire card to help futureproof your application. New versions of the DESFire card and market changes will see the gap in cost difference between the two cards reduce significantly over time.
If you already have a solution and are only interested in cards PPC provides a range of Genuine NXP MIFARE cards that meet a high standard for quality and reliability. Make an enquiry today and ask about our DBOND MIFARE cards
Did you know that the DESFire EV3 standard improves read range for contactless applications? Find out more on the DESFire EV3 Brochure.
“MIFARE is a registered trademark of NXP B.V. and is used under license.”
Buy MIFARE Cards in Our Store
Please call for volume pricing, special requirements or any other question you may have.
PPC provides Genuine NXP® MIFARE chips in our cards. Clone, counterfeit, and imitation MIFARE cards typically have a reduced service life, are subject to high failure rates and may be illegal. The cost of re-issuing, and re-printing quantities of cards, if they are to fail within a few months, can be a very expensive exercise. If you are concerned PPC can help test your cards and ensure you are enjoying the benefits of legitimate MIFARE card stock. Non genuine MIFARE cards may be referred to as 13.56MHz RFID or NFC Cards but may also use the trademarked term MIFARE illegally.
Frequently Asked Questions
A MIFARE card is a contactless smart card based on NXP Semiconductors’ MIFARE technology. It stores data on an embedded chip and communicates with readers via radio frequency (13.56 MHz). MIFARE cards are used for access control, student ID, library systems, cashless payments, and transport ticketing.
MIFARE Classic uses a proprietary security protocol and is widely deployed in existing systems. MIFARE DESFire uses AES 128-bit encryption and meets current security standards. For any new system implementation, PPC recommends DESFire EV2 or EV3
Yes. PPC only supplies genuine NXP MIFARE cards. Counterfeit and substandard MIFARE cards are present in the Australian market — genuine cards can be verified using the NXP TagInfo app.
Most school print management and library systems read the MIFARE UID, which is present on all MIFARE card types. MIFARE Classic 1K is the most common choice for school deployments. PPC’s CardEze and EZEConnect software support UID integration with PaperCut, TASS, Sentral, Wonde, and most Australian student information systems.
MIFARE cards are printed on standard PVC card stock compatible with most ID card printers. Encoding requires a printer fitted with a contactless smart card encoder. PPC can advise on compatible printer and encoder combinations.
PPC supplies MIFARE cards in volumes from small quantities through to bulk orders. Contact us for volume pricing.
DESFire EV3 is the current generation of the MIFARE DESFire range. It offers AES 128-bit encryption, enhanced privacy features, and improved transaction speeds. It is the recommended choice for all new secure access control and identity deployments.