# 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
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

{% hint style="info" %} **For copies of specifications contact:** American National Standards Institute 11 W. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036 212-642-4900 {% endhint %} ### Magnetic Stripe Encoding


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	79 alphanumeric characters
0.110"	ABA	75	5 bits per character	40 numeric characters
0.110"	THRIFT	210	5 bits per character	107 numeric characters

### Magnetic Stripe Encoding #### Track 1 76 alphanumeric data characters between Format Code and Discretionary Data.


SS	FC	PAN	FS	Name	FS	Additional data	Discretionary Data	ES	LRC

{% hint style="info" %} #### Orange characters identify control characters {% endhint %} #### Encoding Key * SS: Start Sentinel - % * FC: Format Code - ^ * PAN: Primary Account Number (19 digits max.) * FS: Field Separator * 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 #### Track 2 37 data characters between PAN and Discretionary Data.


SS	PAN	FS	Additional data	Discretionary Data	ES	LRC

{% hint style="info" %} #### Orange characters identify control characters {% endhint %} #### Encoding Key * SS: Start Sentinel - Hex B - ; * PAN: Primary Account Number (19 digits max.) * FS: Field Separator - Hex D - = * 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 {% hint style="info" %} **Some or all of the above Discretionary Data fields may be found with the discretionary data** {% endhint %} * ES: End Sentinel - Hex F - ? * LRC: Logitudinal Redundancy Check character #### Track 3 (ISO 4909) 104 numeric data characters between Format Code and Additional Data.


SS	FC	PAN	FS	USE AND SECURITY DATA	Additional data	ES	LRC

#### Encoding Key * SS: Start Sentinel - Hex B - ; * PAN: Primary Account Number (19 digits max.) * FS: Field Separator - Hex D - = * USE AND SECURITY DATA - Number of characters * 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 {% hint style="info" %} **A Field Separator (FS) must be used if an optional field is not used** {% endhint %} * ES: End Sentinel - Hex F - ? * LRC: Logitudinal Redundancy Check character * FC: Format Code - (2 digits) (in place of optional field) {% hint style="warning" %} 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 {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://developer.magtek.com/hardware/card-readers/magnetic-stripe-readers/idynamo-5-gen-iii/documentation/other-documents/magnetic-stripe-card-standards.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.