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Universal Compliance Documents

This universal compliance and security documentation page provides the essential security and inspection guides required to maintain and ensure the physical integrity of MagTek products before and after deployment.

Product-specific Compliance Documents

Reference Section

Information Available

Common technical details for magnetic stripe cards.

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    Magnetic Stripe Card Standards
    https://www.magtek.com
    https://forum.magtek.com

    Magnetic Stripe Card Standards

    Dimensions - Financial Transaction Cards

    ISO

    7810

    Physical characteristics of credit card size document

    7811-1

    Embossing

    7811-2

    Magnetic stripe - low coercivity

    76 alphanumeric data characters between Format Code and Discretionary Data.

    • SS: Start Sentinel - %

    • FC: Format Code - ^

    • PAN: Primary Account Number (19 digits max.)

    • FS: Field Separator

    37 data characters between PAN and Discretionary Data.

    • SS: Start Sentinel - Hex B - ;

    • PAN: Primary Account Number (19 digits max.)

    • FS: Field Separator - Hex D - =

    • ADDITIONAL DATA: Number of characters:

    • ES: End Sentinel - Hex F - ?

    • LRC: Logitudinal Redundancy Check character

    104 numeric data characters between Format Code and Additional Data.

    • SS: Start Sentinel - Hex B - ;

    • PAN: Primary Account Number (19 digits max.)

    • FS: Field Separator - Hex D - =

    • USE AND SECURITY DATA - Number of characters

    • ES: End Sentinel - Hex F - ?

    • LRC: Logitudinal Redundancy Check character

    • FC: Format Code - (2 digits) (in place of optional field)

    0.110"

    ABA

    75

    5 bits per character

    40 numeric characters

    0.110"

    THRIFT

    210

    5 bits per character

    107 numeric characters

    NAME: Name (26 alphanumeric characters max.)

  • ADDITIONAL DATA: Number of characters:

    • Expiration Date (YYMM) - 4

    • Service Code - 3

  • DISCRETIONARY DATA: Number of characters:

    • PVKI - PIN Verification Key Number

    • PVV or Offset - PIN Verification Value

    • CVV or CVC - Card Verification Value, Card Vakudation Code

  • ES: End Sentinel - ?

  • LRC: Logitudinal Redundancy Check character

    • Expiration Date (YYMM) - 4

    • Service Code - 3

  • DISCRETIONARY DATA: Number of characters:

    • PVKI - PIN Verification Key Number

    • PVV or Offset - PIN Verification Value

    • CVV or CVC - Card Verification Value, Card Vakudation Code

    • Country Code (optional) - 3

    • Currency Code - 3

    • Currency Exponent - 1

    • Amount Authorized per Cycle - 4

    • Amount Remaining this Cycle - 4

    • Cycle Begin (Validity Date) - 4

    • Cycle Length - 2

    • Retry Count - 1

    • PIN Control Parameters (optional) - 6

    • Interchange Controls - 1

    • PAN Service Restriction - 2

    • SAN-1 Service Restriction - 2

    • SAN-2 Service Restriction - 2

    • Expiration Date (optional) - 4

    • Card Sequence Number - 1

    • Card Security Number (optional) - 9

  • ADDITIONAL DATA: Number of characters:

    • First subsidiary account number (optional)

    • Second subsidiary account number (optional)

    • Relay marker - 1

    • Cryptographic check digits (optional) - 6

    • Discretionary Data

  • 7811-3

    Location of embossed characters

    7811-4

    Location of tracks 1 & 2

    7811-5

    Location of track 3

    7811-6

    Magnetic stripe - high coercivity

    7813

    Financial transaction cards

    Measurement - 0.223"

    Track

    Recording Density (bits per inch)

    Character Configuration (including parity bit)

    Information Content (including control characters)

    0.110"

    1 IATA

    210

    7 bits per character

    SS

    FC

    PAN

    FS

    Name

    FS

    Additional data

    Discretionary Data

    ES

    SS

    PAN

    FS

    Additional data

    Discretionary Data

    ES

    LRC

    SS

    FC

    PAN

    FS

    USE AND SECURITY DATA

    Additional data

    ES

    LRC

    For copies of specifications contact: American National Standards Institute 11 W. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036 212-642-4900

    Magnetic Stripe Encoding

    Magnetic Stripe Encoding

    Track 1

    Orange characters identify control characters

    Encoding Key

    Track 2

    Orange characters identify control characters

    Encoding Key

    Some or all of the above Discretionary Data fields may be found with the discretionary data

    Track 3 (ISO 4909)

    Encoding Key

    A Field Separator (FS) must be used if an optional field is not used

    The track formats used in this document are based on ISO Standards, however, other formats may be used. Contact your card issuer for your exact requirements

    79 alphanumeric characters

    LRC

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