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BS ISO IEC 24789 — Identification Cards Card Service Life Standard Series
Identification cards — Card service life — Part 1 & Part 2
💳 BS ISO/IEC 24789 is the British Standards Institution (BSI) adoption of the ISO/IEC 24789 series, covering identification card service life. Bank cards, ID cards, and access-control cards experience bending, abrasion, temperature changes, and reader interaction during use, and their service life directly affects user experience and security. The series was prepared by UK technical committee IST/17 (Cards and personal identification) and carries ICS classification 35.240.15. The series currently comprises two parts: Part 1 specifies card application profiles and requirements, and Part 2 specifies methods of evaluation.
💡 Card service life is not “a single measured number” but the combined result of “application profile × usage intensity × aging factors”: ISO/IEC 24789 provides a systematic method for mapping expected life into executable tests.
1. Series Overview and Positioning 📌
Aging of identification cards mainly arises from: mechanical stress (bending, torsion, surface abrasion), environmental stress (temperature, humidity, light), and electrical stress (reader contact or RF interaction). The ISO/IEC 24789 series uses a three-layer structure of “application profile – evaluation regime – evaluation methods” to translate the expected-life requirement into a standardised evaluation process.
The two parts currently in the BS ISO/IEC 24789 series are shown below. Part 1 addresses “what to test” (determining the profile and classes by application), while Part 2 addresses “how to test” (the specific evaluation methods).
| Standard | Subject | Key Content | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS ISO/IEC 24789-1:2012 | Application profiles and requirements | Determination of card applications and their profiles, aging and usage classes, and selection of the evaluation regime | First edition 2012-04-15 |
| BS ISO/IEC 24789-2:2011 | Methods of evaluation | Default parameters of evaluation methods, test environment, pre-conditioning, and measurement uncertainty | First edition 2011-11-15 |
⚠️ Part 2 was published earlier than Part 1 (2011 vs 2012); note the referencing order: first determine the application profile and evaluation regime per Part 1, then execute the tests per Part 2. Evaluation methods must not be applied directly to applications without a profile definition.
2. Card Application Profiles and Requirements 🏗️
BS ISO/IEC 24789-1 specifies how to determine the card application profile. The core concepts include:
- Application profile: the set of functional and environmental requirements defined by card purpose (e.g., banking, ID, access control).
- Aging classes and usage classes: dividing expected life and usage intensity into classes for selection and acceptance.
- Evaluation regime: determining which evaluation methods and combinations to apply based on profile, aging, and usage classes.
This part turns an abstract “life requirement” into actionable profile entries, and is the entry point for card selection and acceptance.
3. Methods of Evaluation 🔧
BS ISO/IEC 24789-2 specifies the concrete methods of evaluation, including:
- Default parameters: default tolerances and settings applicable to each evaluation method.
- Test environment and pre-conditioning: specifies test temperature/humidity and pre-aging or pre-conditioning steps.
- Method selection: how to choose the applicable combination from the specified method set.
- Total measurement uncertainty: requires reporting measurement uncertainty so results are comparable.
The evaluation methods cover both contact and contactless cards, spanning physical (geometry, surface, bending) and electrical (contacts, RF interface) dimensions.
💡 The key to reliability is “simulating real use”: pre-conditioning should closely reflect the actual forces and temperature history a card experiences in a wallet or reader, so the evaluation results are engineering-meaningful.
4. Engineering Practice and Applications 🔍
The card-service-life evaluation system is widely used by card manufacturers, issuing institutions, and testing laboratories. Engineering practice points include:
- Issuer selection: choose cards meeting the corresponding aging/usage classes based on the intended validity period (e.g., 3–5 years for a bank card).
- Supplier acceptance: require card suppliers to submit life-evaluation reports per the application profile, as a procurement basis.
- Process improvement: feed evaluation results back to materials and processes (lamination, printing, chip packaging) to improve yield and life.
- Standard referencing: when used with ISO/IEC 10373 (test methods), clarify boundaries to avoid duplication or conflict.
5. Frequently Asked Questions ❓
❓ Q: What is the relationship between Part 1 and Part 2?
A: Part 1 defines the profile, aging/usage classes, and evaluation regime by application (what to test); Part 2 specifies the concrete evaluation methods and default parameters (how to test). They are used together.
A: Part 1 defines the profile, aging/usage classes, and evaluation regime by application (what to test); Part 2 specifies the concrete evaluation methods and default parameters (how to test). They are used together.
❓ Q: What is an “application profile”?
A: An application profile is a set of functional and environmental requirements defined by card purpose — for example, bending durability for a bank card, fade resistance for an ID card, RF stability for an access card — and is the basis for determining the scope of evaluation.
A: An application profile is a set of functional and environmental requirements defined by card purpose — for example, bending durability for a bank card, fade resistance for an ID card, RF stability for an access card — and is the basis for determining the scope of evaluation.
❓ Q: Why must evaluation methods specify “measurement uncertainty”?
A: Because tests across laboratories and batches have random and systematic deviations. Reporting uncertainty makes results comparable and credible, avoiding “different conclusions for the same product”.
A: Because tests across laboratories and batches have random and systematic deviations. Reporting uncertainty makes results comparable and credible, avoiding “different conclusions for the same product”.
🔍 Q: Can card-service-life evaluation predict actual years of use?
A: It provides evidence-based relative comparison and class judgement, but actual life is also affected by issuance, storage, and holder usage habits. Evaluation is “design verification”, not an absolute prophecy.
A: It provides evidence-based relative comparison and class judgement, but actual life is also affected by issuance, storage, and holder usage habits. Evaluation is “design verification”, not an absolute prophecy.