AES-authenticated HF

MIFARE Ultralight AES Wooden RFID Cards

MIFARE Ultralight AES wooden RFID cards add 128-bit AES authentication and integrity options to a lightweight 13.56 MHz credential route. They suit secure limited-use tickets, event access, hospitality, controlled membership, and loyalty programs where the integrator needs stronger protection than a basic Type 2 Tag while keeping fast reader transactions.

Ultralight AES route brief

Frequency	13.56 MHz secure HF
Best use	Lightweight secure ticketing, controlled membership, event access, loyalty, and programs needing stronger authentication than basic Type 2 tags.
Chip route	MIFARE Ultralight AES or a platform-specified AES-authenticated lightweight HF chip.
Phone behavior	Not a generic tap-to-URL choice by default. Phone behavior depends on the app, NDEF setup, and AES authentication flow.
Encoding	AES keys, authenticated data pages, counters, UID mapping, access rights, and NDEF or app-specific payloads from the integrator brief.
Approval check	Define key ownership, personalization responsibility, app or reader support, and sample validation before artwork approval.

Visual references

Ultralight AES wooden credentials for controlled membership and access

AES key ownership and personalization workstation

Ultralight AES is secure by design, not a generic URL tag.

The chip is selected when the reader or app expects AES-authenticated data. Public tap-to-URL behavior is possible only when the full NDEF and application design supports it; it is not the default buying route.

Define key ownership before personalization.

The integrator should specify who creates, injects, stores, and rotates AES keys, which data pages require authentication, and who is responsible for secure personalization and reissues.

Map counters, access rights, and payloads together.

Authenticated pages, one-way counters, UID mapping, access rights, optional NDEF data, and app-specific payloads must follow one approved data model rather than separate production notes.

Validate the whole reader or app flow on a sample.

A working wooden sample should pass authentication, data read or write, counter behavior, and normal transaction timing on the target reader or app before artwork approval.

Best uses

Secure limited-use and event tickets
Controlled membership and loyalty
Hospitality guest access
Programs requiring authenticated lightweight data

Frequently asked questions

When should a project use MIFARE Ultralight AES?

When a limited-use ticket, event, hospitality, membership, or loyalty program needs 128-bit AES authentication and stronger data protection than a basic open Type 2 Tag.

Can Ultralight AES open a public URL on a phone?

It can support an NDEF configuration, but it is not a generic tap-to-URL choice by default. Phone behavior depends on the app, NDEF setup, access rights, and AES authentication design.

Who manages the AES keys?

The integrator must define who creates, injects, stores, and rotates the keys, which pages require authentication, and who handles personalization and replacements before production starts.

Specification

Card size	CR80 and custom dimensions by drawing
Card body	Plastic-free, FSC-certified wood body options
Thickness	0.80 mm to 2.0 mm by wood species and chip
Minimum order	None — single samples to production runs
Production time	About one week after artwork and sample approval
RF planning	Chip, antenna, thickness, and finish approved together
Approval route	Material sample, working RF sample, production proof
Frequency	13.56 MHz secure HF
Chip route	MIFARE Ultralight AES or a platform-specified AES-authenticated lightweight HF chip.
Encoding	AES keys, authenticated data pages, counters, UID mapping, access rights, and NDEF or app-specific payloads from the integrator brief.
Approval check	Define key ownership, personalization responsibility, app or reader support, and sample validation before artwork approval.
Security	128-bit AES authentication with platform-defined key and access policy