News

KeyMe kiosks copy car key fobs and save digital copies in the cloud

October 26, 2016

KeyMe key copying kiosks now allow consumers to copy car key fobs and have the extra fob shipped to their home, saving digital copies in the cloud.

To get an extra fob at a KeyMe kiosk, customers select the "fob" option on the screen and enter their car’s make, model and year. The customer places their current fob against the key slot, allowing the secure transfer of the transponder ID. KeyMe will code a new transponder, cut a new blade and ship it to the customer via complementary priority mail with a tracking code.  

KeyMe supports the majority of modern fob keys for both luxury brands, such as BMW, Audi and Lexus, and premium brands including Honda, Toyota and Nissan, among others. KeyMe is also testing support for "proximity-based" fob keys used in many higher-end 2014 to 2016 models.

"Consumers have historically been forced to go to a dealer to replace lost or duplicate car key fobs and often pay hundreds of dollars. This technology enables KeyMe to scan car keys at the kiosk, read the transponder, and ship a fully­-programmed copy with a tracking code for typically 50 to 70 percent less than a dealership," said Greg Marsh, founder and CEO of KeyMe. 

KeyMe recently announced a new $15 million series C round of funding led by QuestMark Partners. This follows a $20 million series B round of funding in December 2015, bringing total funding to $45 million. All previous investors participated in an oversubscribed round, including Comcast Ventures, Battery Ventures, White Star Capital, 7-Eleven, Ravin Gandhi and the Polsky Family Office.

The company plans to add more than 3,000 next-generation kiosks by the end of 2017 in retailers, including: 7-Eleven, Albertsons, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kmart, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Mall of America, Rite Aid, Safeway and Sears.

KeyMe enables customers to save digital copies of their keys in the cloud. When a customer orders a key fob with KeyMe, their transponder and blade information are saved to their account so if they lose their new fob, KeyMe can send them a new one.

Customers can also save any house key to the cloud, then recover a copy using their fingerprint at any of the kiosks if they lose their keys or get locked out. Using KeyMe’s free iOS and Androis apps, keys can be ordered and stored in the cloud, then accessed and printed at a kiosk in the event of a lockout, saving hundreds of dollars that would ordinarily be spent on an emergency locksmith visit.

Traditional key duplication services have 15­ to 20 percent error rates as a result of their "tracing”"methodology. KeyMe’s robotics and artificial intelligence technology produces key copies that are more accurate than the originals.

A list of kiosk locations can be seen at www.key.me/kiosks