Credential choice affects daily friction more than any other part of an access system. Each option has a clear best use.
Encrypted fobs and cards
Modern encrypted smart credentials are the sane default: cheap per user, easy to issue to contractors, and immune to the cloning that plagues legacy 125 kHz proximity cards. If your building still uses old prox, that is worth replacing on its own.
Mobile credentials
Phones work well for staff who already carry them everywhere and never remember a fob. Issuing and revoking is instant and remote. The trade-off is dependence on the phone's battery and Bluetooth behavior, so we usually keep a fob or PIN fallback on critical doors.
Biometrics
Fingerprint and face readers make sense on a small number of high-value doors — pharmacy, cash room, data closet — where you need proof of the person rather than proof of a credential. They are slower to enroll and require a written policy on how biometric data is stored.
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