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Key cards are plastic cards that unlock doors when presented to a card reader. When you request a card access method in an Access Grant, Seam creates a card credential. Depending on your access control system, you either encode the credential onto a physical card using a card encoder or the system assigns the credential to a pre-registered card automatically. Key cards work with:
  • Access control systems — Salto KS, Salto Space, ASSA ABLOY Visionline and Vostio, dormakaba, Brivo, and other ACS platforms that support card-based credentials. Specify entrances with acs_entrance_ids or use space_ids.

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Before You Begin

To use key cards, you need:

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Step 1: Verify Entrance Support

List the entrances for your ACS and confirm that can_unlock_with_card is true. 
const entrances = await seam.acs.entrances.list({
  acs_system_id: 'c359cba2-8ef2-47fc-bee0-1c7c2a886339',
})

const cardEntrances = entrances.filter(
  (e) => e.can_unlock_with_card
)

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Step 2: Create an Access Grant with a Key Card

Create an Access Grant specifying card as the requested access method mode. 
const accessGrant = await seam.accessGrants.create({
  user_identity_id: '22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222',
  acs_entrance_ids: ['f74e4879-5991-4e2f-a368-888983dcfbfc'],
  requested_access_methods: [
    { mode: 'card' }
  ],
  starts_at: '2025-07-13T15:00:00.000Z',
  ends_at: '2025-07-16T11:00:00.000Z',
})

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Step 3: Deliver the Key Card

List the access methods for the Access Grant and check the is_encoding_required property to determine whether you need to encode the card or whether the system assigns it automatically. 
const accessMethods = await seam.accessMethods.list({
  access_grant_id: accessGrant.access_grant_id,
})

const card = accessMethods[0]
console.log(card.is_encoding_required)
Output: 
{
  "access_method_id": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
  "display_name": "Key Card",
  "mode": "card",
  "is_issued": false,
  "is_encoding_required": true,
  ...
}

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Encoding Cards

If is_encoding_required is true, you must encode the credential onto a physical card using a card encoder before handing the card to your user. Use the Seam API to encode the card: 
const actionAttempt = await seam.accessMethods.encode({
  access_method_id: 'a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890',
  acs_encoder_id: 'encoder-001',
})
Once encoding is complete, the access method’s is_encoding_required property changes to false and is_issued changes to true. Hand the encoded card to your user. For the complete card encoding workflow, including listing encoders and scanning cards, see Working with Card Encoders and Scanners.

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Assigning Cards

If is_assigning_required is true, you can assign an existing credential to the access method by providing the card number. This is common with systems that use pre-registered cards. Use the Seam API to input the card_number for the access method: 
const actionAttempt = await seam.accessMethods.assignCard({
  access_method_id: 'a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890',
  card_number: 'ABCD1234',
})
Once a card is assigned, the access method’s is_assignment_required property changes to false and is_issued changes to true. Hand the assigned card to your user.

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Step 4: See Which Doors the Key Card Covers

An access method can cover multiple doors — for example, if the Access Grant includes several entrances or spaces. To see which doors a key card unlocks, call /access_methods/get_related. 
const related = await seam.accessMethods.getRelated({
  access_method_ids: [accessMethod.access_method_id],
})

console.log(related.acs_entrances) // entrances this card unlocks

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Next Steps