swiping c/cards
- Thread starter framah
- Start date
I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I've tried that and it won't work. I used a plastic sandwich bag. Any idea?
blackiris
SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Duh Ralph!! 
Old~school retail trick when the magnetic stripe for some reason won't read..........CUSTOMERS are soooo amazed when you do it!
I always used a plastic grocery bag!
Old~school retail trick when the magnetic stripe for some reason won't read..........CUSTOMERS are soooo amazed when you do it!
I always used a plastic grocery bag!
pwalters
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
I was told this by someone with my bank, so I'm not testifying to the truth of it, but it makes sense.
When someone uses their card enough they are actually wearing away at the magnetic strip. The readers in the machine have a certain space between them to accommodate the card. When you swipe a card that is more worn and it doesn't make good contact you don't get a good reading. Wrapping it in plastic (or by putting a piece of scotch tape on the other side) increases the thickness and the plastic is still thin enough to read the stripe.
Sounded plausible to me.
When someone uses their card enough they are actually wearing away at the magnetic strip. The readers in the machine have a certain space between them to accommodate the card. When you swipe a card that is more worn and it doesn't make good contact you don't get a good reading. Wrapping it in plastic (or by putting a piece of scotch tape on the other side) increases the thickness and the plastic is still thin enough to read the stripe.
Sounded plausible to me.
Oh no wonder my brown paper lunch bag never worked!!!
Dave
SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
From this site:
http://ask.metafilter.com/58141/Credit-card-bag-swapping-trick
Standard bank cards use the F2F (Aiken biphase) modulation scheme, in which flux reversals encoded in the . . . eh, too much information. Let's just say that when you swipe the card through the reader, the magnetized particles in its stripe generate a signal with "ticks" in it at intervals that the machine is able to interpret as digital ones or zeros. A scratch or other defect in the magnetic stripe can cause a spike (i.e., brief fluctuation) in the signal that a too-sensitive reader will interpret as a tick, meaning that the encoded data will fail the parity check (the numbers won't add up right) and the card won't work. Wrapping the card in plastic increases the distance between the read head and the magnetic stripe, thus reducing the strength and crispness of the signal and smoothing out anomalous fluctuations. Behold, the card works.
If you have a card that doesn't swipe often, you can put a piece of 810 tape on the strip and leave it there. Should fix the problem.
http://ask.metafilter.com/58141/Credit-card-bag-swapping-trick
Standard bank cards use the F2F (Aiken biphase) modulation scheme, in which flux reversals encoded in the . . . eh, too much information. Let's just say that when you swipe the card through the reader, the magnetized particles in its stripe generate a signal with "ticks" in it at intervals that the machine is able to interpret as digital ones or zeros. A scratch or other defect in the magnetic stripe can cause a spike (i.e., brief fluctuation) in the signal that a too-sensitive reader will interpret as a tick, meaning that the encoded data will fail the parity check (the numbers won't add up right) and the card won't work. Wrapping the card in plastic increases the distance between the read head and the magnetic stripe, thus reducing the strength and crispness of the signal and smoothing out anomalous fluctuations. Behold, the card works.
If you have a card that doesn't swipe often, you can put a piece of 810 tape on the strip and leave it there. Should fix the problem.
Jeff Rodier
SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Wrong kind of plastic. Use a Wal-Mart/Kroger/Target/Home Depot bag. That is the type of plastic coating that is used to laminate the strip when the card is manufactured.
pwalters
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
If you hold on REAL tight long enough.
nikfrz
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
I've tried all kinds of bags, and none have ever worked for me I'm gonna try the tape next time, if the customer lets me.