Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify people or objects. There are several methods of identification, but the most common is to store a serial number that identifies a person, object or other information, on a microchip attached to an antenna.
Individual vendors have defined their own proprietary encoding schemes such as Mifare, Legic and I-class.
RFID cards continue to grow in popularity because of the convenience they offer in security, identification and access control applications, especially door access where fast, hands-free operation is preferred. RFID cards are low in price and commonly used in applications such as identification cards, keycards, payment cards, asset management and public transit fare cards.