The Best Bluetooth Smart Card Readers to Eliminate Cord Creep and Save Desktop Space
Carl Hughes • June 20, 2022

Are you tired of smart card reader cables being in the way on your desk? We totally understand that the 5-foot cable included with many of these readers can be quite the hassle when it comes to cable management.

That is why major smart card manufacturers such as HID and RF IDeas have created versions that are completely wireless and ONLY need Bluetooth to operate. A Bluetooth connection relies on the 2.4 GHz and operates over a range of distances depending on environmental conditions. The included video will give an overview of it.

Learn about how Bluetooth works and how you use it throughout your daily life with most of your devices.

We have comprised a list of the Bluetooth-enabled smart card readers that we sell that will allow you to simply pair the device via a Bluetooth pairing.

We have included a profile of each of the smart card readers, so you can get a better idea of their capabilities.

Who is Tx Systems?

We are a licensed distributor within the smart card industry for large manufacturers such as ACS, HID and Identiv. We offer a wide variety of both contact and contactless readers and have a selection of NFC readers for NFC tag applications. In addition to hardware, we also offer software solutions that utilize the hardware we sell such as  Open Domain Sphinx  and  Access Smart PowerLogOn.

You can trust that we will do a fantastic job with supporting your Bluetooth smart card reader needs.

Tx Systems offers many different types of Bluetooth Smart Card Readers that are capable of supporting major smart card types and even NFC applications, so read on to discover the one that is right for you.

What are the Bluetooth Smart Card Readers that You Offer?

Smart Card Readers:

HID OMNIKEY 5427 CK has wide compliance with major smart card types, is customizable to your business needs and installs easy with major OS support.
  • Compatible with major OS versions (Window, Android and iOS)
  • Supports of Windows Plug and Play meaning easy and quick installation
  • Keyboard Emulation to allow for automatic input of credentials
  • Reads all types of smart card types (*Both Low Frequency and High Frequency such as HID Prox, MIFARE Classic, MIFARE DESFire EV1, iCLASS and iCLASS SE)
  • Ideal for access control, printer authentication and workstation login
  • Mounts and accessories are available
The Certgate AirID 2 Mini is compact and ready to go on your key fob, installs easy with major OS support and has a battery that lasts long on one charge.
  • Uses SIM Card-sized smart cards (ID-000)/NFC-enabled smart cards among most available on the market
  • Fits on a key fob
  • Bluetooth Light Energy (BLE) pairing with AES 256-bit encryption
  • Support of Bluetooth V5
  • AutoLock for when you leave your workstation
  • Long-lasting battery of a few weeks on one charge
  • Supports major operating systems for both desktop and mobile devices
The Certgate AirID 2 is compact and ready to go for your need of high security, supports all smart card orientations and has a wide range of applications.
  • AutoLock for when you leave your workstation
  • Smart Card and FIDO standard support
  • Ideal for signing documents, email/hard drive encryption, accessing virtual private networks, secure printing, access control, payment services and time recording
  • Long-lasting battery of one week on one charge
  • Bluetooth Light Energy (BLE) pairing with AES 256-bit encryption
  • Supports major operating systems for both desktop and mobile devices
The ACR3901U-S1 has wide smart card compliance, installs easy with major OS support and pairs readily with smartphones/tablets.
  • Reads all types of smart card types
  • Supports major operating systems for both desktop and mobile devices
  • Bluetooth-mode supports Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) and above, iOS 8.0 and above and Windows OS and macOS
  • Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
  • Works readily with any smartphone/tablet and is compact to fit within a case
  • Bluetooth Light Energy pairing with AES 128-bit encryption
  • Ideal for e-Government, e-Healthcare, mobile banking and payment and access control
The RF Ideas pcProx Plus is a Dual-Frequency smart card reader supportive of Low and High Frequency wavelengths, installs easy on major operating systems and is adaptable to multiple use cases.
  • Dual-Frequency reader supportive of both Prox (125 Khz) and smart card formats (13.56 MHz tags/labels)
  • BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) support of mobile devices
  • Ideal for Real Time Location Services (RTLS), secure authentication (PC), single sign-on, cashless payments and asset tracking
  • Compatible with recent versions of the Windows OS and Linux
  • Mounts and accessories are available
ACR1225U-J1 is supportive of many RFID types such as 13.56 smart cards and NFC, has a compact and handheld design and is highly secure with support of AES 128-bit encryption.
  • Reads both contactless smart cards and NFC-enabled tags
    • Support of major smart card types (ISO 14443 Type A & B on the 13.56 MHz band) such as MIFARE, FeliCa
  • Easy integration and compact design for portability thanks to its usage of a rechargeable Lithium battery
  • Compatible with major desktop operating systems and mobile operating systems
  • Ideal for physical and logical access and inventory tracking
  • Bluetooth Light Energy (BLE) pairing with AES 128-bit encryption
  • Supports of Windows Plug and Play meaning easy and quick installation
Elatec TWN4 MultiTech 2 has Dual-Frequency support of both Prox and smart card standards, easy installation on major operating systems and is future-proof with the development of Bluetooth Low Energy.
  • Supports both Low Frequency at 125 kHz (Prox) and High Frequency at 13.56 MHz (MIFARE) smart cards and NFC
  • Support of both major desktop and mobile operating systems
  • Support of Bluetooth Light Energy (BLE) with the inclusion of an app that allows you to program custom apps
  • Bluetooth Light Energy (BLE) pairing with AES 128-bit encryption
  • Ideal for Single Sign-On, physical access, POS systems and time attendance
Elatec TWN4 MultiTech 3 has Dual-Frequency support of both Prox and smart card standards, easy installation on major operating systems and is highly secure with AES 256-bit encryption.
  • Supports both Low Frequency and High Frequency smart cards, NFC and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)
  • Compact
  • Ideal for printer authentication, POS systems, physical access and workstation login
  • Support of major operating systems
  • Bluetooth Light Energy pairing with AES 256-bit encryption
HID ActivID Mini Tokens come in three different flavors according to your authentication needs all based around delivering a One-time Password.

OTP (One-time Password) Tokens:

  • Ideal for MFA/VPN login with a PIN code being displayed for one-time use
    • Mobile device login, digital signatures, encryption
  • Compatible with any Open Authentication standard-based authentication
  • Customize the token to your corporate branding scheme
  • Ease of use with only one touch of a button being needed
  • Compact and fits in the palm of your hand
  • Battery lasts for 8 years

Where Can I Find Out More About Bluetooth Smart Card Readers?

To learn more about each of these Bluetooth-enabled hardware devices, learn more by going on our website or reaching out to us with your business’ needs by emailing sales@txsystems.com or by calling 858-622-2004.

By Kate Bennett February 12, 2025
Updates to HID's Credential Management System
By Kate Bennett January 31, 2025
FIDO2 with ENTRA ID
By Kate Bennett December 12, 2024
A Strong Dosage of RFID Protects Healthcare Organizations
More Posts
Share by: