Card formats are available across all gateways, access controllers, and nodes in the system.
Card formats can be assigned to one or multiple sites, including global sites. Global site card formats are downloaded to all access controllers, whereas site-specific card formats are only downloaded to controllers in the same site.
Default (Predefined) Card Formats
Card formats define the structure of the data stored in the credentials. Several predefined card templates are available for creating card formats including the HID Corporate 1000-35, HID Corporate 1000-48, Wiegand 26-bit, and Wiegand 36-bit templates. As new card formats are added, they are downloaded to the access controllers.
Per site, only 15 card formats will be downloaded to the controllers. Filter by site to see which formats will be downloaded. The is based on the 15-card format limit and higher priority.
Custom Card Formats
When the predefined card templates do not match a card format to be used in the system, custom card templates can be configured. This makes it possible to use existing badges with Elements.
Change Priority
The card formats list is sorted in ascending order by Priority (Hardware ID) with the highest priority at the top of the list. To change the order of priority, use the Move Up or Move Down buttons 
to move a card format up or down the list.
As the reader decides which card format it can use, it starts at the highest priority card format and works down the list. If two card formats have the same length, but one is more permissive, and the other more restrictive, the more restrictive card format can be moved above the more permissive one to ensure the more restrictive format is attempted first.
If a card format is deleted from the list, there may be a gap in the priority number sequence where the deleted format used to be - this does not affect card format processing.
Caution: If two card formats have the same priority number, then only one of them will be used to read the card data. Move one of the formats up or down to resolve this.
Global priority is used to determine the priority of card formats at each site. The priority list of card formats is maintained by global administrators, only. Site administrators cannot change card format priority.
Global administrators can apply the site filter to view the card formats but cannot change the priority of the card formats while filtered.
Related Topic
© 2025 Honeywell International Inc. All Rights Reserved.