We answer at 3am
Open 24 hours, seven days a week, public holidays included
We come to you
The van carries the workshop, so nothing gets towed anywhere
4.9 Star Reviews
Verified Google reviews from around PE
You hear the price first
We quote before we drive out, and that number does not change
Car Key Cutting
Cutting to code beats copying a key
The hardware shop copies the shape of the key you hand over, including the wear it has picked up over ten years. That copy starts life slightly wrong and gets worse from there, and eventually the lock wears to match it.
We cut to the original code for your vehicle, which is the pattern the factory used. The key comes out the way the first one did, and your locks stop having to work around a tired shape.
Laser cut keys and why they are different
Look at the blade. If the cuts run along the flat face like a wavy groove down the middle, that is a laser cut key, sometimes called a sidewinder. Most cars built in the last fifteen years or so use them because they are harder to pick and harder to copy.
They need a different machine to an ordinary key and most hardware shops cannot touch them. We carry the equipment for both, so it makes no difference to us which one your car takes.
Cutting is only half the job on a modern car
A cut blade will open your doors. It will not start the engine unless the chip inside the key has been paired to your immobiliser. People get caught out by this after buying a blank online, cutting it somewhere cheap and finding the car turns over and dies. If your car needs the electronic side done too, we handle that under car key programming at the same visit.
What we cut
Plain metal keys for older cars and bakkies
Chip key blades ready for programming
Laser cut and sidewinder blades
Flip key blades fitted into a folding housing
Remote head key blades
Emergency blades that hide inside a smart key fob
Boot, glovebox and fuel cap keys that stopped matching the main key
Bringing everything back onto one key
Older cars often end up with three separate keys after a few repairs, one for the doors, one for the ignition and one for the boot. We can usually get you back to a single key that does all of it, which makes life easier and means you only carry one spare.
We cut at your car or wherever suits you
Our vans carry the machines, so we come to your driveway, your office parking or the side of the road. That matters most when the car cannot be driven to us, and it is handy when you would rather not spend a Saturday morning waiting somewhere.
A word on cheap blanks from online sellers
We see plenty of keys bought online that never work properly. The metal is soft, the shape is slightly off and the chip inside is often the wrong type for the car. You save a little on the blank and then pay to have the whole thing redone. We use blanks that match what your car expects.
How car key cutting works
Tell us your make, model and year, and whether you have a working key.
We confirm what blade your car takes and bring the right blanks with us.
We cut to your car's pattern, or read the lock when no key exists.
We test the new blade in the doors, the boot and the ignition.
If the car needs a chip paired to it, we programme it there and then.
We check the key turns smoothly before we leave, rather than leaving you to find out later.
We're out this way most weeks — so you'll find us near:
What affects the price of car key cutting?
Key cutting prices depend on the kind of blade and how we get the pattern:
A plain blade compared with a laser cut or sidewinder blade
Whether you have a working key for us to work from
Whether the blade goes into a flip housing or a remote head
Whether the key also needs a chip programmed to start the car
Where you are in Port Elizabeth or Gqeberha and whether it falls after hours
Phone us with the make and model and we will tell you what your car takes and what it costs.
GetKeys Auto Locksmith
51 Seaview Rd, Farms Port Elizabeth,
Gqeberha, 6390
084 513 4914
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
FAQS
Can you cut a car key without the original?
Yes. We read the door lock or pull the key code from the vehicle, then cut to the original factory pattern rather than copying a worn key.
What is a laser cut key?
It is a key with the cuts running along the flat face of the blade instead of the edge. Most cars from the last fifteen years use them, and they need a different machine to an ordinary key.
Will a cut key start my car?
It will open the doors. Starting the engine also needs the chip inside the key paired to your car, which we do on the same visit when your model requires it.
Why is cutting to code better than copying my key?
A copy carries across all the wear on your current key. Cutting to the original pattern gives you a key that turns the way the first one did and stops your locks wearing further.
Can you put my doors, boot and ignition back onto one key?
In most cases yes. Older cars often end up with separate keys after repairs, and we can usually get you back to carrying a single key.
I bought a blank key online. Can you cut it for me?
We can look at it, though many of the cheap blanks are soft, slightly the wrong shape or carry the wrong chip. We would rather cut a blank that matches what your car expects than have you pay twice.