diff --git a/apps/backend/src/routes/cards.ts b/apps/backend/src/routes/cards.ts
index 8b8d6ff2..a20b4601 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/routes/cards.ts
+++ b/apps/backend/src/routes/cards.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { handleDbError } from '../utils/error.util.js';
 import { hashIp } from '../utils/refreshToken';
 import { createCardSchema ,updateCardSchema, addPlatformLinkSchema} from '../validations/card.validation';
 
-import type { CardResponse, UpdateCardBody, UpdatedCardResponse } from '../services/cardService';
+import type { CardResponse, UpdateCardBody,UpdatedCardResponse } from '../services/cardService';
 import type { Card } from '@devcard/shared/src/types.js';
 import type { CardVisibility } from '@prisma/client';
 import type { FastifyInstance, FastifyRequest, FastifyReply } from 'fastify';
@@ -62,15 +62,9 @@ function hasErrorCode(
 }
 
 export async function cardRoutes(app: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
-  app.addHook('preHandler', async (request, reply) => {
-    const server = request.server;
-    if (typeof server?.authenticate === 'function') { await server.authenticate(request, reply); return }
-    if (typeof app.authenticate === 'function') { await app.authenticate(request, reply); return }
-    try { await request.jwtVerify() } catch (_e) { reply.status(401).send({ error: 'Unauthorized' }) }
-  });
-
+ 
   // ─── List Cards ───
-  app.get('/', async (request: FastifyRequest, reply: FastifyReply): Promise<CardResponse[] | void> => {
+  app.get('/', {preHandler: [(req, reply) => app.authenticate(req, reply)] },async (request: FastifyRequest, reply: FastifyReply): Promise<CardResponse[] | void> => {
     const userId = request.user.id;
     try {
       return await cardService.listCards(app, userId)
@@ -80,7 +74,7 @@ export async function cardRoutes(app: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
   });
 
   // ─── Creates Card ───
-  app.post('/', async (request: FastifyRequest<{ Body: CreateCardBody }>, reply: FastifyReply): Promise<Card | void> => {
+  app.post<{ Body: CreateCardBody }>('/', { preHandler: [(req, reply) => app.authenticate(req, reply)]}, async (request, reply): Promise<Card | void> => {
     const userId = request.user.id;
     const parsed = createCardSchema.safeParse(request.body);
 
@@ -99,7 +93,7 @@ export async function cardRoutes(app: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
 
   // ─── Update Card ───
 
-  app.put('/:id', async (request: FastifyRequest<{ Params: CardParams; Body: UpdateCardBody }>, reply: FastifyReply): Promise<UpdatedCardResponse> => {
+ app.put<{ Params: CardParams; Body: UpdateCardBody }>('/:id', {preHandler: [(req, reply) => app.authenticate(req, reply)] }, async (request, reply): Promise<UpdatedCardResponse> => {
     const userId = request.user.id;
     const { id } = request.params;
 
@@ -117,7 +111,7 @@ export async function cardRoutes(app: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
 
   // ─── Delete Card ───
 
-  app.delete('/:id', async (request: FastifyRequest<{ Params: CardParams }>, reply: FastifyReply): Promise<void> => {
+  app.delete<{ Params: CardParams }>('/:id', { preHandler: [(req, reply) => app.authenticate(req, reply)]}, async (request, reply): Promise<void> => {
     const userId = request.user.id;
     const { id } = request.params;
 
@@ -139,7 +133,7 @@ export async function cardRoutes(app: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
   });
 
   // ─── Set Default Card ───
-  app.put('/:id/default', async (request: FastifyRequest<{ Params: CardParams }>, reply: FastifyReply): Promise<object | void> => {
+  app.put<{ Params: CardParams }>('/:id/default', {preHandler: [(req, reply) => app.authenticate(req, reply)]}, async (request, reply): Promise<object | void> => {
     const userId = request.user.id;
     const { id } = request.params;
 
diff --git a/apps/backend/src/routes/event.ts b/apps/backend/src/routes/event.ts
index 1999f58b..5c24b4ff 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/routes/event.ts
+++ b/apps/backend/src/routes/event.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ type EventWithAttendees = {
   }[];
 }
 
-export async function eventRoutes(app:FastifyInstance): Promise<void>  {
+export async function eventRoutes(app:FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
         app.post<{Body: { name: string; description?: string; startDate: string; location: string; endDate: string; isPublic?: boolean; }}>('/', { preHandler: [(req, reply) => app.authenticate(req, reply)] }, async (request, reply) => {
          const userId = request.user.id;
         const parsed = createEventSchema.safeParse(request.body); 
@@ -271,4 +271,4 @@ export async function eventRoutes(app:FastifyInstance): Promise<void>  {
 
         return response; 
     })
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/apps/backend/src/routes/nfc.ts b/apps/backend/src/routes/nfc.ts
index 5cf13f0c..9dcb8088 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/routes/nfc.ts
+++ b/apps/backend/src/routes/nfc.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-import type { FastifyInstance, FastifyRequest, FastifyReply } from 'fastify';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 
+import type { FastifyInstance} from 'fastify';
+
 type NfcPayloadResponse = {
   type: 'URI';
   payload: string;
@@ -10,33 +11,16 @@ const nfcQuerySchema = z.object({
   card: z.string().uuid('Invalid card ID format').optional(),
 });
 
-export async function nfcRoutes(app: FastifyInstance) {
-  app.addHook('preHandler', async (request, reply) => {
-        const server = request.server as any;
-        if (typeof server?.authenticate === 'function') {
-          await server.authenticate(request, reply);
-          return;
-        }
-        if (typeof (app as any).authenticate === 'function') {
-          await (app as any).authenticate(request, reply);
-          return;
-        }
-        try {
-          await request.jwtVerify();
-        } catch (e) {
-          reply.status(401).send({ error: 'Unauthorized' });
-        }
-  });
+export async function nfcRoutes(app: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
+  
 
   // GET /api/nfc/payload — returns NDEF URI payload for user's default DevCard URL
   // GET /api/nfc/payload?card=<cardId> — returns payload for a specific card
-  app.get(
-    '/payload',
-    async (
-      request: FastifyRequest<{ Querystring: { card?: string } }>,
-      reply: FastifyReply
-    ) => {
-      const userId = (request.user as any).id;
+  app.get<{ Querystring: { card?: string } }>(
+  '/payload',
+  { preHandler: [(req, reply) => app.authenticate(req, reply)] },
+  async (request, reply) => {
+    const userId = request.user.id;
 
       // Validate query params with Zod
       const parseResult = nfcQuerySchema.safeParse(request.query);
@@ -111,4 +95,4 @@ const payloadUrl = `${process.env.PUBLIC_APP_URL}/${safeUsername}${
       return reply.send(response);
     }
   );
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}