I went back to the dealership where I bought my car, and they had no idea what I was talking about.
Another dealership said it should have come with the car, usually left in the glove compartment. They mentioned that there had been production delays, and Kia was behind on manufacturing them. They also said I should’ve received it in the mail by now.
I haven’t, so they told me to call Kia.
After spending over an hour on the phone with Kia customer support, despite it being detailed in my owner’s manual starting on page 4-25, they outright denied its existence.
To clarify, I’m not talking about using a smartphone, but the physical NFC key card that looks like a credit card.
If anyone has any information or has actually received one, please let me know. This is driving me nuts.
I’ve been wondering about this too. I got a 2025 K5 GT1 recently, and I plan to ask the dealership during my next visit for an oil change. Will update if I learn anything.
Skylar said:
I’ve been wondering about this too. I got a 2025 K5 GT1 recently, and I plan to ask the dealership during my next visit for an oil change. Will update if I learn anything.
Lennon said:
What does the manual say the NFC card is supposed to do?
According to the manual, it’s a physical card about the size of a credit card. You can use it instead of a key. You hold it near the door handle to unlock the car, and placing it near the charging pad allows you to start and drive the car. It’s similar to using a smartphone as a key, but this works for people without compatible phones. Think of it like tap-to-pay, but for your car.
Abi said:
I got mine when I picked up my keys at the dealership. If your dealership misplaced it, they should be able to order a replacement for you at no cost.
What trim level do you have? My dealership insisted it wasn’t a thing and claimed it was a misprint in the manual. Another dealership said I should’ve gotten it, but blamed production delays. After hours on the phone with Kia support, they claimed I was misreading the manual. At this point, I’m more curious about who’s lying than the key card itself.
I got one when I bought my Hyundai, but honestly, it’s useless. I gave it to my partner, and it’s been sitting in her wallet ever since. The phone app does everything the card does and more. I understand wanting it if you paid for it, though.
@Lennon
Exactly. I get that it might not be practical, but I paid for a feature, and I want it. Kia’s subscription model for the app is a headache, so I was hoping the card would be a way to avoid that.
I thought the NFC key card was only available on certain trims that support Digital Key 2.0. For the K5, it seems to be limited to the EX and GT trims with the GT1 package. Maybe that’s the issue?
Chen said:
I thought the NFC key card was only available on certain trims that support Digital Key 2.0. For the K5, it seems to be limited to the EX and GT trims with the GT1 package. Maybe that’s the issue?
I have the GT with the GT1 package, and the manual explicitly mentions it. I even took the manual to the dealership, but they claimed my trim doesn’t have that feature. When I asked which trims do, they said, “not yours.” At this point, it feels like a mystery I need to solve.