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How to add a Card Format and Facility code to your Mercury system
How to add a Card Format and Facility code to your Mercury system

HID Mercury Hardware Platform

Natalie Callejas avatar
Written by Natalie Callejas
Updated over 12 months ago

All key cards and fobs are created with three important pieces of data: the format, a serial number, and a facility code. When a user swipes their credential at a reader, the data is relayed to the system controller, which then decodes it to determine if the user should have access.

The card format describes whether the card can be recognized by a system, while the serial number identifies the specific owner of the card. 26-bit standard format is the industry standard, and serial numbers for 26-bit cards can only range from one to 65,535. So what happens if two companies use 26-bit standard cards with identical ID numbers? In theory, they could access each other’s properties. This is where the facility code comes into play.

The facility code is an added layer of security built within an access control system. Facility codes for 26-bit cards can range from one to 255, and they are assigned to prevent users with identical card numbers from accessing areas that should be restricted to them.

Every access control system operated by Genea that utilizes 26-bit cards is programmed with a specific facility code. For security reasons, we recommend always provisioning keys to users with their accurate card format data.

How to add a Card Format and Facility Code to your system

1.) Click on the 'Access Control' tab in your Genea admin dashboard.

2.) Upon the 'Access Control' tab, find the 'Card Format Settings' section. You will see an option that reads 'Add Card Format.' Click on the button and it will populate two options: Predefined and Custom.

3.) Upon the 'Access Card Format' box, you will need to add the necessary pieces of data: the format and a facility code. Lastly, select "Save" and the newly created format will appear in your Card Formats list.

If you do not have your key card format information available and need to help locating it, click on the following article for more information.

For "Custom" card formats, please reach out to acsupport@getgenea.com for further assistance.

NOTE: Mercury will not allow duplicate card numbers to be added to your system, even if different facility codes are assigned.

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