Passcard

A passcard is either a physical card or an electronically stored username-password combination. In either case, it is used for authentication (unique identification of a person), and possibly additionally to determine an appropriate access level.

A passcard is most commonly a special type of card used to gain entry into restricted areas and buildings. Passcards are used primarily for general access. General access means that the cards do not encode the identity and associated information of its owner. Individually encoded passcards, on the other hand, include specific information about the card's owner such as name, a unique ID belonging to the person, and permitted access levels.

The word “passcard” can also refer to stored user name and password combinations entered to log on to Web sites. For example, the Netscape browser provides an option to manage passwords previously saved by the browser. The user name and password combinations are stored directly on the hard disk of the machine and are entered automatically upon re-visiting the sites. These passcard managers include security features to protect this sensitive information.