Published: July 2026
Every standard hotel key card is 85.6 × 54 mm — exactly the size of a credit card. The format has a name: ISO/IEC 7810 CR-80, the international standard that guarantees a card printed anywhere in the world fits every lock reader, encoder, sleeve, and wallet ever made for it. Here are the exact numbers in every unit, plus the two cases where hotel cards deliberately deviate: wooden cards and custom shapes.
Standard Hotel Key Card Dimensions
| Measurement | Millimeters | Centimeters | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 85.60 mm | 8.56 cm | 3.375" |
| Height | 53.98 mm | 5.4 cm | 2.125" |
| Thickness (PVC / recycled PVC / BioBoard) | 0.76 mm | 0.076 cm | 0.030" (30 mil) |
| Thickness (genuine wood) | 1.1–1.2 mm | 0.11–0.12 cm | 0.043–0.047" |
| Corner radius | 3.18 mm | 0.318 cm | 0.125" |
Why these numbers? CR-80 dates back to the original bank card specification, and the entire access-control industry standardized around it. Lock readers, front-desk encoders, and cardholder accessories all assume CR-80 — which is why every card we produce, from recycled PVC to BioBoard, holds these dimensions to sub-millimeter tolerance.
Why Wooden Key Cards Are Slightly Thicker
Wooden key cards run 1.1–1.2 mm thick — about 50% thicker than PVC — because real wood needs the extra body to protect the embedded RFID inlay and resist flexing. The width and height stay exactly CR-80, so wooden cards work in every tap reader and card sleeve. (Thickness only matters for insert-style readers, which are rare in RFID installations.) The extra heft is part of the appeal: guests consistently describe wooden cards as feeling more premium than plastic.
Custom Shapes and Non-Standard Sizes
RFID changed the rules: since nothing needs to swipe through a slot, a tap card can be almost any shape that fits the antenna. We produce leaf-shaped cards, rounded and animal-shaped kids' cards, and oversized VIP formats. Two practical constraints: the RFID antenna needs roughly a 40 × 25 mm clear area, and anything non-CR-80 will not fit standard sleeves or cardholders — so most properties keep custom shapes for special occasions and stay CR-80 for daily room keys. Shape options are covered on our custom hotel key cards page.
Artwork Specifications for Key Card Printing
Designing artwork for hotel key cards? These are the specs our prepress team asks for:
- Trim size: 85.6 × 54 mm
- Bleed: add 2 mm on all sides — artwork file 89.6 × 58 mm
- Safe zone: keep text and logos 3 mm inside the trim edge
- Resolution: 300 dpi minimum at final size
- Color: CMYK (Pantone spot colors supported — we verify with a spectrometer on press)
- Fonts: outlined/converted to curves
No design team? Our in-house designers set up print-ready artwork from your brand guidelines as part of the free design service.
Key Card Sleeve Sizing
Standard key card sleeves are cut slightly larger than CR-80 — typically 90 × 60 mm — so cards slide in easily while staying put. If you order thicker wooden cards, sleeves accommodate them without any size change; the extra 0.4 mm of card thickness is well within sleeve tolerance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are hotel key cards the same size as credit cards?
Yes — identical. Both follow ISO/IEC 7810 CR-80: 85.6 × 54 mm with 0.76 mm thickness. That is why hotel key cards fit perfectly in wallet card slots.
What is the hotel key card size in cm?
8.56 × 5.4 cm, with a thickness of 0.076 cm for standard PVC cards.
What is the hotel key card size in inches?
3.375 × 2.125 inches, 0.030 inches (30 mil) thick.
Do all hotel lock systems require CR-80 cards?
Tap-style RFID readers only care about the chip and antenna, not the card outline — that is what makes custom shapes possible. Swipe and insert readers, however, physically require CR-80. When in doubt, CR-80 is always safe: it works in every system. See our hotel key cards page for chip and lock-system compatibility.