How Do Expiring Badges Work?

You may have heard of expiring ID badges or self-expiring badges; many companies today have gone away from the paper visitor log and guests badges that need returned to the receptionist. They are now combining a visitor management system and expiring ID badges to control and monitor guests.

Visitor management solutions today require a photo ID to verify a guest's identity. These solutions scan IDs and enter them in a company's system which uses software to streamline the visitor management process. The system compares the visitor's information with known watch lists from governmental or other sources. Then once the system clears a guest, companies today issue expiring badges to track who belongs and who doesn't. This eliminates the sometimes difficult step of getting visitors to return their badges to the receptionist at the end of their visit. It also adds a layer of security you don't get with other systems.

How Expiring Badges Work

Expiring visitor badges have two parts: a front on which you can print or hand-write a visitor's name and other information and a second layer you apply to the back to activate the badge. Once you fold the back to a self-expiring badge, red ink from the second layer starts seeping through the label over time. As the red ink seeps to the front, you'll see visible red lines or the word "VOID" on the front of the badge. This gives anyone instant visual identification of who belongs and who doesn't. At the end of their visit, guests simply throw the badge away.

The Change Isn't Instantaneous

The ink seeps over a specified amount of time. For example, you can choose badges that expire in half a day, a full day, and even longer periods. By the end of that period, the ink will be fully visible, but it begins to bleed as soon as you fold the back to the front layer. It doesn't hit 24 hours and instantly change to red lines or "VOID" like flipping a light switch. It's much more gradual than that. Either red lines or "VOID" usually show up in pale colors between four to six hours. The average visit falls within that timeframe, making a self-expiring badge the perfect option for visitor management. By the next day, it is clear the badge expired.

What Affects the Timing?

Self-expiring badges are time sensitive as well as affected by temperature. The standard for all expiring badges is the ability to remain valid for most of the business day at room temperature. But body heat can affect how fast a badge expires. For example, a badge worn on a thin t-shirt against someone's chest in a hot factory will expire quicker than a badge worn on the suit jacket of someone in an air-conditioned office building.

Again, it's key to remember that regardless of when you issue an expiring badge, it is completely expired by the next day. This eliminates the risk of someone reusing a badge to gain unauthorized access. It also allows anyone in your facilities to identify someone who doesn't belong.

Expiring Badges Are Excellent Deterrents

No one will consider trying to get back into your office building, plant, or other facilities with an obviously expired visitor badge. If they did, they would be instantly exposed as trespassers. This effectively deters unauthorized use in the first place. Deterring someone from trying to gain access is the perfect first line of defense for any organization's security program.

Final Thoughts

Self-expiring visitor badges can't be reused, making them ideal for any visitor management program. You can choose from a range of expiration times like a half-day, 1-day, 7-days, and more. These expiring badges also offer flexibility on what information you print on the badge, such as visitor name, host name, and date and time of visit.

Easy-to-use, adhesive-backed, expiring badges make a visitor management program an efficient, inexpensive solution for any organization and they’re easy to remove from walls or floors. If this sounds like something your organization needs, contact an Idesco ID Expert to go over the options. We'll help you discover the perfect expiring badge for your security and business needs.

Call us today at 800-336-1383 to find the right solution for you.