magneetstrips

Magneetstrips, or magnetic stripes, are thin bands of magnetizable material found on the backs of many identification and payment cards. They store data by magnetizing tiny metal particles in a binder, creating a pattern that can be read by a magnetic swipe reader when the card is passed through the device.

Typical construction includes a layer of ferromagnetic material embedded in a plastic carrier, often with a protective overcoat. Data is encoded on one or more tracks, commonly Track 1, Track 2, and Track 3. Track 1 is alphanumeric and used for cardholder names; Track 2 is numeric and used for account numbers; Track 3, if present, can hold limited extra data. Modern high-coercivity stripes are harder to erase than older low-coercivity variants.

Magneetstrips are widely used in bank cards, prepaid cards, hotel key cards, access-control badges, and some transit or loyalty cards, where data must be read quickly by sliding the card through a reader.

The magnetic material can be demagnetized or physically damaged, and data on the stripe can be susceptible to unauthorized reading or cloning. Because of these limitations, many systems have migrated to chip-based (EMV) or contactless technologies, which can offer stronger security and data protection.

First introduced in the 1960s, magneetstrips were a standard method for storing card data for decades. While still in use, their share has declined in favor of newer technologies, though they remain in service in many regions and applications.