Types of Door Locks for Business: Keycard vs Biometric & More

A metal key cannot tell you who entered your premises or when, and it cannot be canceled once it goes missing. In 2026, with staff, cleaners, contractors, and visitors on separate schedules, those two gaps matter at every entrance.

The right door lock for business use still depends on the doorway. Mechanical deadbolts, keypads, maglocks, and other different types of door locks in commercial buildings each have a place, and the keycard versus biometric question gets a decision framework of its own.

A single-cylinder deadbolt is a mechanical lock with an outside key cylinder and an inside thumbturn. The solid bolt has no spring, so it moves only when someone turns it. Fit one on storerooms, back-of-house rooms, and small shopfronts. Security is moderate on its own and stronger with a latch lock below it.

The body of a mortise lock sits in a pocket cut into the door edge, and one steel case holds both latch and deadbolt. This build handles heavy daily traffic, making it suitable for main entrances and busy common doors. Among mechanical options, its security level is high.

Cylindrical lever sets install through round holes bored in the door, so they are quick to fit and replace. Use them for interior offices and meeting rooms. Protection is low to moderate, as the latch is the only barrier.

Keypad locks replace the key with a PIN, so users have nothing to carry or lose. They suit small offices, supply rooms, and staff-only areas. A code can be shared or seen over a shoulder, limiting their security to moderate. Reset the PIN whenever someone leaves.

A card reader picks up a card or fob via radio and checks it against the approved user list. Card technology decides the security level. Older 125 kHz proximity cards hold unencrypted data and are simple to clone, while encrypted 13.56 MHz smart cards such as MIFARE DESFire resist copying. Offices and hotels favor this type because they can cancel a lost card in software.

Biometric readers verify fingerprints or faces, credentials nobody can lend or leave at home. Integrated systems check each scan against encrypted records of enrolled users. Reserve them for server rooms, laboratories, and vaults. Expect high security, and note the data you collect falls under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.

A maglock pairs an electromagnet on the frame with a steel plate on the door, and current holds the two together. Cut the power and the door releases, which makes every maglock fail-safe. That trait suits office entrances tied to access control. Treat the security level as moderate, since an outage unlocks the door.

An electric strike replaces the fixed strike plate in the frame. With a valid credential, its keeper releases and the latch swings free, while the inside handle still opens the door. Strikes come in fail-safe or fail-secure versions, so match the choice to each doorway. Paired with a mortise lock, they deliver high security.

Look for a platform that lets an administrator add or remove a person in one place and have every door update at once. Time rules matter as much. Cleaners may need access only from 7 pm to 10 pm, and contractors for a single week. Here at Integrated, our access control systems integrate with existing HR software.

A log records who opened which door and at what time. After an incident, that trail confirms the facts, and it supports compliance reviews at banks, pharmaceutical facilities, and other regulated sites.

A central dashboard shows every door across multiple sites, so one team can unlock an entrance for a visitor or freeze a credential without a trip to the premises. Mobile credentials go further and turn a phone into the pass.

Both credentials can run on the same system. The choice then depends on staff turnover, doorway risk, and budget.

Pick cards where turnover is high, visitors are frequent, or the area holds little value. Cards are cheap to issue and quick to revoke. Co-working floors, retail back offices, and general office doors fit this profile. Specify encrypted smart cards, and ask staff to report a loss the same day.

Select biometrics for server rooms, laboratories, cash offices, and any zone where a borrowed card would be a serious breach. In Hong Kong, the Privacy Commissioner asks organizations to first assess whether collection is necessary and proportionate, and to give people a clear explanation and an informed choice. A card-plus-face rule adds a second check.

The cheapest reader often comes with 125 kHz cards that an off-the-shelf copier can duplicate. A break-in and a full hardware swap can cost far more than the amount saved. When you price a door lock for business premises, compare card encryption and build quality first.

A standalone lock keeps its own user list, so you have to update every joiner and leaver door by door. Check that new hardware supports a common interface such as Wiegand or RS485 and can report to your central software, CCTV, and alarms.

The Code of Practice for Fire Safety in Buildings calls for the lock on an exit door to open from inside without a key. An electrically operated lock should release on a fire alarm signal and on power failure. The Fire Services Department has also warned that fail-secure devices across escape routes become a hazard once power is lost. Ask your installer to confirm each door before work starts.

Write the process before the first card is issued. Decide who cancels a lost credential, how fast, and who collects keys on the last day of work. Check active users against the HR list every quarter.

Among the different types of door locks, no single product wins everywhere. For high-risk rooms, the strongest setup combines a mortise lock or electric strike with biometric verification and a networked access control system that logs every entry.

Generally, yes. A fingerprint or face stays with its owner; nobody can misplace it or hand it to a colleague. The trade-offs include higher hardware costs and privacy obligations. The Privacy Commissioner treats biometric data as sensitive, and a fingerprint cannot be reset after a leak.

Mechanical locks cost the least. Standalone digital locks with keypad, card, and fingerprint entry retail in Hong Kong from roughly HK$2,500 to HK$6,000, with basic installation included, or from HK$850. Networked doors with a reader, controller, and electric lock cost more and are quoted after a site survey of wiring, door type, and software needs.

Most electronic locks are built for it. Maglocks, electric strikes, and biometric units take their signal from a controller. Once linked, the lock follows the same user list, schedules, and logs as every other door.

Keycards suit busy, lower-risk doors, while biometrics guard the high-risk rooms. Mechanical hardware still earns its place on storerooms and low-traffic doors. A typical site blends these types of door locks, ideally on one platform that manages users, schedules, and audit trails.

Since 1995, Integrated has built such platforms for banks, airports, government bodies, and schools across Hong Kong. Cards and biometrics share one system, and the same team covers design, installation, and user training. Contact us to book a site assessment and demo today.