As you shop for an
ID card printer and consider the type of ID cards you want to print, you'll probably hear the term "magnetic stripe" or "magstripe." What exactly is a
magnetic stripe card? It's the black or brown stripe on the back of a PVC card. Found on credit cards and driver’s licenses, this stripe stores a range of important cardholder data.
What is a magnetic stripe card used for?
Magnetic stripe ID cards are often used for the following applications:
- access control
- time and attendance
- lunch programs
- library cards
- credit cards
- and more
All ID card printer manufacturers offer optional magnetic stripe encoding for their printers. You can either choose a printer with magnetic encoding up-front when you purchase it or one that is upgradeable to magnetic encoding.
What is a magnetic stripe card made of?
The stripe is made of magnetic particles of resin. The resin particle material determines the coercivity of the stripe. The higher the coercivity, the harder it is to encode and erase information from the stripe. There are two types of coercivity to choose from:
- High Coercivity (HiCo) cards are suggested for most card applications. These cards are most often black in color and encoded with a stronger magnetic field (2750 Oersted).
- HiCo cards are most durable as because of their stronger magnetic field. The data is encoded on the HiCo stripes is less likely to inadvertently be erased if subject to an outside magnetic field.
- HiCo cards are common in applications where they require a longer card life and are swiped often. Credit cards, bank cards, library cards, access control cards, time and attendance cards and employee ID cards frequently use HiCo technology.
- The less commonly used Low Coercivity (LoCo) cards are optimal for short-lived applications. They're brown in color encoded at a low-intensity magnetic field (300 Oersted).
- LoCo cards are typically used for short-term applications including hotel room keys and season passes for theme parks, amusement parks, and water parks.
- When selecting a magnetic stripe card for your business, ask yourself how long you want your cards to last. Many of us have experienced a situation where a hotel room key stopped working. Magnetic stripe cards can be reprogrammed, but it can be inconvenient.
How much data can I store on a magstripe card?
The following is the amount of data that can be encoded to a magnetic stripe (per ISO 7811 format):
- Track 1: 210 bits/inch (BPI), 7 bits/character (MPC), maximum of 79 alpha-numeric characters.
- Track 2: 75 bits/inch (BPI), 5 bits/character (MPC), maximum of 40 numeric characters.
- Track 3: 210 bits/inch (BPI), 5 bits/character (MPC), maximum of 107 numeric characters.
If you need help choosing the right
magnetic stripe card for your application, contact an ID Professional (800) 321.4405. We know ID. It's what we do!
