Keri Proximite PSC-1 Card Replacement: Buyer's Guide

If your building uses Keri Pyramid Series proximity readers and you need to replace or reorder credentials, a compatible Keri Proximite PSC-1 card is available from American Key Cards without a dealer account, minimum-quantity requirement, or OEM markup. The Proximite format uses standard 125 kHz proximity technology and can be ordered in 26-bit Wiegand encoding, which is the most common configuration in the field. Here is what you need to know before placing an order.

What Is Keri Proximite and How Does It Work?

Keri Proximite is a 125 kHz passive proximity credential line from Keri Systems, designed for use with the Keri Pyramid Series reader family. The product line centers on two form factors: the PSC-1 clamshell card and the PSC-1-A printable ISO-style card. A key fob variant, the PSK-3, is also part of the broader Pyramid credential family.

At the technical level, Keri Proximite cards are standard low-frequency RFID transponders. When a card is presented to a compatible reader, the reader energizes the card inductively and reads the encoded credential data, then passes that data as a Wiegand signal to the access control panel. There is no battery in the card; it draws all its power from the reader’s RF field.

The cards can be encoded in several formats depending on the order specification:

• 26-bit Wiegand (H10301) — the open standard used across most North American access control installations, with a facility code field (0–255) and a card number field (0–65,535)
• Custom Wiegand formats — available for sites with non-standard bit-length requirements
• Magnetic-stripe encoding — available on certain variants for combination prox/mag-stripe applications

For most commercial office or light-industrial deployments, the 26-bit Wiegand option is what you want. It is the most broadly supported format and allows the cards to work on Keri controllers as well as any other Wiegand-compatible panel.

How to Identify Keri Pyramid Series Readers

Before ordering replacement credentials, confirm that your readers are in fact Keri Pyramid Series hardware. Ordering the wrong format means cards that will not read.

Look for the following on the reader housing:

• The Keri Systems logo (a stylized “K”) or “Keri Systems” printed on the bezel
• Model designations such as P-710H (standard-range mullion reader) or P-900H (multi-format long-range reader)
• A plain black rectangular reader with no keypad, typically flush-mounted to the wall beside a door frame

If the readers are unlabeled or you cannot access the housings, check the access control panel enclosure. Keri panels such as the PXL-500P and PXL-250 carry the Keri brand and are usually labeled inside the cabinet door. Your original installer’s as-built documentation should also list reader model numbers.

Do not confuse Keri Pyramid Series readers with Keri’s other product lines. Keri also makes NXT format readers and Delta smart card readers, which use entirely different credential types. A Proximite PSC-1 card will not work in an NXT or Delta reader. See Keri MS format vs. Keri 26-bit for a related guide on distinguishing Keri formats.

OEM Part Numbers and What They Mean

Keri’s Proximite credential line uses the following OEM part numbers:

Part Number	Form Factor	Notes
PSC-1	Clamshell card (ABS)	Standard weatherproof clamshell; most common in commercial installations
PSC-1-A	ISO printable card	Smooth PVC surface for photo ID or logo printing; same encoding as PSC-1
PSK-3	Key fob / key ring tag	Compact credential for users who prefer a fob over a card

A key feature of OEM Proximite cards is that the internal ID is permanently printed on the back of each card at the factory. This makes inventory management straightforward: you can match a physical card to its enrolled record in the access control software just by reading the number off the back.

Compatible aftermarket cards from American Key Cards replicate this behavior. Each card is pre-programmed to your specified facility code and card number range, and the programmed values are printed on the card for easy enrollment.

Can Keri Proximite Cards Be Cloned?

Yes. Keri Proximite cards operate at 125 kHz with no encryption layer. The Wiegand data they contain can be read and reproduced using commercially available RFID tools. This is true of all standard 125 kHz proximity credentials, including HID ProxCard II and most other prox formats from this era.

For most commercial office applications, this is an acceptable risk level. The relevant threat model is whether a determined attacker could capture a card number and reproduce it, not whether generic blank cards can be programmed to your facility code — which is the basis on which all compatible cards work.

If your security posture requires clone resistance, Keri Systems offers the NXT encrypted format and the NXT MIFARE smart card line, both of which use cryptographic authentication that cannot be reproduced by third parties. American Key Cards cannot produce NXT or NXT MIFARE credentials — those require factory programming through Keri’s authorized channel.

For a comparison of open and encrypted Keri formats, see Keri NXT compatible cards.

Compatible Readers

Keri Proximite PSC-1 cards in 26-bit Wiegand encoding are compatible with:

• Keri Pyramid Series proximity readers — P-710H, P-900H, and other Pyramid family readers
• Any Wiegand-compatible access control reader when the card is encoded in 26-bit H10301 format
• Keri PXL-500P and PXL-250 controllers with Pyramid Series proximity readers attached

They are not compatible with Keri NXT readers, Keri Delta MIFARE readers, or any reader requiring a smart card with encrypted authentication.

How Keri Proximite Compares to Standard HID 26-Bit

Both Keri Proximite PSC-1 and standard HID ProxCard II (H10301) operate at 125 kHz and can be encoded in identical 26-bit Wiegand format. At the electrical level, the Wiegand output they send to the access panel is the same data stream. The practical difference is the intended reader ecosystem:

Feature	Keri Proximite PSC-1	HID ProxCard II (H10301)
Frequency	125 kHz	125 kHz
Standard bit format	26-bit Wiegand	26-bit Wiegand
OEM part number	PSC-1, PSC-1-A	1326LGGMN (ISO), 1386LGGMN (clamshell)
Designed reader	Keri Pyramid Series	HID Prox family
Cross-compatibility	Yes, in 26-bit mode on any Wiegand reader	Yes, in 26-bit mode on any Wiegand reader
Cloneable	Yes	Yes
Encryption	None	None
Aftermarket available	Yes (AKC)	Yes (AKC and many others)

When both formats are encoded in 26-bit Wiegand, many Wiegand readers will accept either card. However, Keri-specific programming in older Pyramid readers may expect Keri’s own encoding rather than HID’s, so sourcing a card in the Proximite format is the safer approach when your readers are Keri branded.

What You Need to Order

To place an order for compatible Keri Proximite PSC-1 cards, you need two pieces of information:

Facility code (also called site code): A number from 0 to 255, typically assigned when the system was first installed. This is printed on your existing cards, often as “FC:” or “Fac:” followed by the number. It is also recorded in the access control software and the original installer’s documentation.

Card number range: The sequential numbers you want programmed onto the new cards. If you are issuing 25 new cards, you might specify card numbers 101 through 125, for example. If you are replacing specific lost cards, you can specify individual card numbers.

If you are unable to locate your facility code, reading an existing working card with a USB proximity card reader can retrieve both the facility code and card number. AKC can advise on reader tools if needed.

Why Non-OEM Costs Less

Keri Proximite credentials are sourced primarily through Keri’s authorized dealer and integrator channel. Dealers typically carry manufacturer-suggested minimums and mark up accordingly, since they provide programming, warranty support, and installation services. American Key Cards buys compatible-by-specification 125 kHz credentials in volume and passes that cost efficiency to end users directly.

Compatible does not mean counterfeit. AKC’s Keri Proximite-compatible cards are produced by credential manufacturers to the same 125 kHz Wiegand specification, programmed to your facility code, and tested before shipment. They are not affiliated with or manufactured by Keri Systems, and we say so plainly. What you receive is a card that reads identically to an OEM card in your Keri Pyramid Series readers because it carries the same credential data in the same format.

There is no licensing restriction that prevents third-party production of standard 26-bit Wiegand proximity cards. HID’s Corporate 1000 managed format is one example where licensing does apply, but standard 26-bit Wiegand — including Keri Proximite’s 26-bit encoding — is an open format that any credential manufacturer can produce.

Use Cases

Keri Pyramid Series installations with Proximite credentials appear most often in:

• Commercial office buildings with mid-tier access control where a full smart card upgrade is not yet warranted
• Light industrial and warehouse facilities needing weatherproof clamshell credentials
• Multi-tenant buildings where property managers handle their own card issuance without relying on an integrator for every reorder
• Educational and institutional facilities running older Keri PXL controllers that are not slated for replacement

The 26-bit Wiegand encoding also makes Proximite-format cards useful during system migrations: if a facility later upgrades its controllers but keeps the Wiegand reader infrastructure, the same facility code and card number database carries over.

Ordering from American Key Cards

To get a quote or place an order for Keri Proximite-compatible clamshell cards, contact American Key Cards with your facility code, card number range, and quantity. Cards are shipped pre-programmed and ready to enroll — no dealer account, no minimum-quantity requirement, and no integrator markup.

If you are unsure which format your Keri readers use, include the reader model number in your message and we will confirm compatibility before production.