Magnetic Stripes Plastic Card

     The magnetic stripe card is made of high-strength, high-temperature-resistant plastic or paper-coated plastic, which is moisture-proof, wear-resistant and flexible, easy to carry, and stable and reliable to use. The magnetic stripe is a thin layer of ferrous oxide applied to the surface of the card, which are dark strips of magnetic material that used in conjunction with the POS system. Magnetic Stripes have two main types: high-coercivity (HiCo) and low-coercivity (LoCo).

     (1) High-coercivity magnetic stripe

     HiCo (High Coercitivity) magnetic stripe is more difficult to erase and uses a stronger magnetic field for encoding, making it more suitable for cards with frequent swipes or cards that require extended service life.

     (2) Low-coercivity magnetic stripe

      LoCo (Low Coercitivity) magnetic stripes require less magnetic energy to record, which reduces costs.

     So what should we chose, Hico or Loco? The answer depends on the application of your cards. LoCo magnetic stripe cards can also be used for most applications, including membership cards, gift cards, loyalty cards, employee ID cards, fundraising cards, public transit cards and more. HiCo magnetic stripe cards are more suitable for places that need to be swiped frequently, such as banks. If you are not sure which one to choose, please consult us first.

Magnetic Stripe Card Encoding

     Different kinds of information can be stored on the magnetic stripe. The magnetic stripe needs to make physical contact with the magnetic head, and the magnetic stripe slides over the magnetic head to read and write information.
      The magnetic stripe on a plastic card contains three available tracks. Each track is capable of holding a different amount and type of data. These tracks contain the plastic card account number, name, expiration date, service code, and card verification code. Which track should be used to encode your serial numbers onto your cards? Please consult us to know more information.

      magnetic stripe can be customized in various colors, such as gold, silver, white, black, gray, etc. Smartone has been making magnetic stripes service for custom plastic cards over 20 years. We have the technology and the experience you need to get great cards. If you have any questions, or want to see samples of each type of magnetic stripes card, please contact us and our card printing experts are here to help you.