Digital car keys are still a concept suffering from lackluster adoption, mainly because the technology is expensive and phone makers only offer it on high-end mobile devices with a premium price tag.

If you're in a pinch and need a new copy of your car key, Ace Hardware may be the better alternative over the dealership, but it depends on what car you own.

About Budget Auto Keys Budget Auto Keys is a Melbourne-based mobile auto locksmith service specialising in on-site car key replacement, programming, and remote fob solutions.

The chip shortage has wreaked havoc in the automotive industry, and most carmakers struggled with the constrained inventory down to a point where their production was massively disrupted.