What is a swipe card access system?
People still search for “swipe card” access, even though most commercial systems in New Zealand no longer use a magnetic stripe you swipe through a slot. Today it usually means a contactless card, fob or phone that unlocks a door when it is held next to a reader. The idea is the same: each person has their own credential, the system decides which doors they can open and at what times, and you can cancel one credential without changing the locks.
A typical commercial system has:
- A credential — a card, fob, PIN, mobile credential, or sometimes a biometric reader (see our biometric access control guide before choosing fingerprints or face recognition).
- A reader at each controlled door, gate, roller door, lift or barrier.
- A lock suited to that door, such as an electric strike, mortice lock or electromagnetic lock.
- A controller and power supply, usually with battery backup.
- Software so you can add and remove users, set schedules and read an event log.
That combination is what installers and buyers mean by access control. Our access control cost guide explains the factors that drive a quote, without a one-size-fits-all price, because every site is different.
Cards, fobs, PINs or a phone: what is the difference?
The reader and software are the system. The credential is how people prove who they are. The right mix depends on how your site runs, not on a single “best” option.
- Cards. Familiar, easy to issue, and useful if you want a photo ID on the same card. They can be left in a bag, shared, or lost, so you need a simple way to cancel and replace them.
- Fobs or key tags. These work the same way as cards, but they usually live on a keyring, which some staff find harder to leave behind. They are a common choice for warehouses, workshops and sites where cards wear out in pockets.
- PINs. A keypad needs no card to carry, but codes can be shared, watched or written down. PINs work well as a backup, or for a low-traffic door, rather than as the only credential on a busy site.
- Mobile credentials. Some platforms, including Gallagher SMB, let people unlock doors and manage users from a smartphone app. This suits teams that already work from their phones, as long as the platform and your phones support it and you have a fallback for someone who does not have a suitable device.
Credential technology also matters for security. Older, low-security card formats can be copied, so a site survey should include what you already use and whether it is still appropriate. We will talk that through before recommending a change.
How does the system actually work?
When a valid credential is presented, the reader asks the controller whether that person is allowed through that door at that time. If they are, the lock releases for a few seconds and the event is recorded. If they are not, the door stays locked and that attempt is recorded too. Administrators can change access in the software — for a new starter, a contractor with a limited window, or someone who has left — without visiting every door.
The same system can cover more than staff doors. It can control gates and barriers, work with a video intercom so a receptionist or resident can release a door, and sit alongside CCTV and intruder detection so an access event can be reviewed against video or used to arm and disarm an area. See systems integration for how those pieces are designed to work together.
Access event logs are often personal information under the Privacy Act 2020, because they can identify who went where and when. Treat them with the same care you would give other staff or visitor records: collect them for a clear purpose, keep them secure, and do not keep them longer than you need.
What should I check before buying a system in New Zealand?
Hardware and software are only part of the decision. On a commercial site, the doors also have to be safe in a fire and the work has to be done by someone who is allowed to do it.
- Escape routes and the building warrant of fitness. A card, fob, keypad or electrically locked door on an escape route must always let people out without a card, key or code. In a building with a compliance schedule these doors are normally specified system SS 3/2, and they are inspected for the annual BWOF. Read our guide to access-controlled doors on escape routes before you sign off a design. Adding or modifying these doors can also need a building consent.
- A licensed adviser and installer. Under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010, installing, repairing or removing security devices is security technician work, and giving advice about security devices or services is security consultant work. Both need a licence or certificate of approval. You can check a company or person on the PSPLA public register.
- How you will run it. Decide who will add and remove users, what happens when a card is lost, and how the system should behave after hours, on weekends and for visitors. A system that is awkward to administer tends to be left with old users still active.
- What can be reused. If you already have readers, locks or cabling, an upgrade does not always mean starting again. A site survey should say what can stay and what should be replaced.
Which access control platforms are used in Auckland?
There is no single platform that suits every site. Com4 installs and supports several, and we will recommend from what you already have, how many doors and sites you run, and who will administer the system.
Gallagher is designed, developed and manufactured in Hamilton, New Zealand. Gallagher SMB is a cloud-based system for smaller sites, with access, users and intruder detection managed from a mobile app and no on-site server. Gallagher also makes Command Centre, a site-management platform that scales from a small number of doors to very large, multi-site systems. Members of the Com4 team hold Gallagher certifications. We have installed Gallagher access control at the MPI Hub Auckland (30+ doors with intruder detection and 30+ cameras, to Government standards) and at Sylvia Park Galleria (30+ controlled doors and 30+ cameras), and we install Gallagher SMB on smaller commercial sites.
We also install Tecom Challenger Plus, Inner Range Inception and Integriti (members of our team hold Integriti certifications) and Genetec Security Center. The right choice is the one that fits your doors, your operators and any systems you already run across other sites, not the brand name on its own.
How Com4 can help
Com4 has been installing commercial security in Auckland since 2011, as Com4 since 2023, and holds PSPLA licence 25-128630. We survey your doors, advise on credentials and hardware, and design swipe card, fob and mobile access control so it works with escape routes, intercoms, gates, CCTV and intruder detection. We work with commercial and industrial sites, schools, body corporates and construction projects across Auckland, from Penrose and East Tāmaki to the CBD and Albany and the North Shore. Call 0800 266 444 or use the form below.
Frequently asked questions
Is a swipe card the same as a proximity card?
Are fobs better than cards?
Can I use my phone instead of a card?
Do swipe card doors still work in a fire or a power cut?
How much does a swipe card access system cost in NZ?
Sources
- Ministry of Justice, Work you need a licence or certificate for, and the PSPLA public register
- New Zealand Legislation, Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010
- New Zealand Legislation, Privacy Act 2020
- Building Performance (MBIE), Guidance on building warrants of fitness and compliance schedules
- Gallagher Security, New Zealand Made, Gallagher SMB and Command Centre
This guide is general information, not a quote or legal advice. Get a site-specific proposal before you budget, and check licensing and consent requirements for your building.