Emilie Meyer
Magnetic stripe cards, also known as magstripe cards, are commonly used in financial transactions. They contain three tracks, each with specific data formats and information. Track 1, primarily used for verification purposes, stores the cardholder's name, primary account number (PAN), card expiration date, and discretionary data. Track 2 is commonly used in everyday transactions and includes the PAN, expiration date, discretionary data, and the service code. Track 3, the least standardized, is rarely used in daily transactions and often absent from cards due to its narrower magnetic stripe. While magstripe technology has been associated with security concerns, leading to the adoption of EMV chip cards, it remains prevalent, especially in regions without universal chip card adoption.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Track 1 data | Cardholder's name, Primary Account Number (PAN), card expiration date, discretionary data |
| Track 2 data | Primary Account Number (PAN), card expiration date, discretionary data |
| Track 3 data | Rarely used for everyday transactions, no standardized format, variable content |
| Track data format | Start sentinel, Primary Account Number (PAN), separator, expiration date, service code, discretionary data, end sentinel, LRC |
| Track 1 standards | Created by the airline industry (IATA) |
| Track 2 standards | Created by the banking industry (ABA) |
| Track 3 standards | Created by the Thrift-Savings industry |
| Track data density | Track 1 and 3: 210 bits per inch; Track 2: 75 bits per inch |
| Track data characters | 7-bit alphanumeric or 5-bit numeric characters |
| Track width | 0.110 inches (2.79 mm) |
| Track stripe colour | Low coercivity: light brown; High coercivity: nearly black |
| Track stripe material | Plastic-like film |
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What You'll Learn
- Track 1 data: Cardholder's name, PAN, card expiration date, and discretionary data
- Track 2 data: PAN, card expiration date, discretionary data
- Track 3 data: Rarely used, no standardised format, variable content
- Track data encryption: Data outputted encrypted, e.g. via USB
- Track data decoding: Tools like Parsomatic can be used to decode track data
Track 1 data: Cardholder's name, PAN, card expiration date, and discretionary data
Track 1 data on a magnetic stripe credit card contains the cardholder's name, the primary account number (PAN), the card expiration date, and discretionary data. The primary purpose of Track 1 data is to store the cardholder's name for verification purposes. This is necessary in transactions where the name on the card must match the name on a reservation, such as checking into a hotel. The PAN is a unique identifier for the credit card account, and it is the long string of numbers on the front of the card. This allows the card reader to identify the specific account associated with the card. The card expiration date is also included in Track 1 data, which is crucial for verifying the card's validity. The card reader uses this information to ensure that the card is still active.
Discretionary data is additional information that card issuers may choose to include in Track 1 data for their own purposes. The content of discretionary data may vary between different card issuers and institutions. It can include PIN verification details and Card Verification Values (CVV or CVC). Track 1 data is commonly used when the cardholder's name needs to be verified during a transaction. However, due to security concerns, magnetic stripe cards are being replaced by more secure technologies, such as EMV chip cards, which offer greater protection against fraud.
The use of magnetic stripe cards and Track 1 data has been associated with security risks as criminals can easily skim the data. This has led to the adoption of EMV chip cards and digital payment methods, which provide enhanced security. However, magnetic stripe cards are still in use, particularly in regions where chip card technology has not been universally adopted.
Track 2 data, which does not include the cardholder's name, is typically used for everyday retail transactions. It contains the PAN and expiration date, allowing for the validation of the card's validity and the identification of the specific account. Track 3 data, on the other hand, is the least commonly used and least standardized. It does not have a well-defined format, and its content can vary significantly between cards. Track 3 is rarely used for everyday transactions and is reserved for specialized applications.
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Track 2 data: PAN, card expiration date, discretionary data
Track 2 data on a magnetic stripe credit card is essential for everyday retail transactions where the cardholder's name is not required for verification. It contains the Primary Account Number (PAN) and the card expiration date, which are validated to authorise payments.
The PAN is a unique identifier, a long string of numbers on the front of the card, which identifies the specific credit card account. The card expiration date is crucial for verifying the card's validity during a transaction. The card reader checks whether the card is still within its expiration date.
Track 2 can store up to 40 numeric or special characters. It uses a lower density magnetic encoding than Track 1 but a more compact character encoding. The data is encrypted and outputted over USB, often in HID mode.
Discretionary data can also be included in Track 2. This is additional information that issuers may choose to include for their own purposes. The content of discretionary data may vary between different card issuers and institutions.
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Track 3 data: Rarely used, no standardised format, variable content
Track 3 data is rarely used in everyday credit card transactions and is reserved for specialised or proprietary applications. Unlike Track 1 and Track 2, it does not have a well-defined or standardised format, and its content can vary significantly from one card to another. The structure and content of Track 3 are not regulated or standardised, and it is encoded in a numerical format.
Track 3 can be up to 107 bytes long. However, its narrow magnetic stripe means it is often not physically present on the card. The major worldwide networks, such as VISA, rarely use it, and point-of-sale card readers usually read Track 1 or Track 2, sometimes both. Track 3 standards were created by the Thrift-Savings industry.
Track 3 data is not widely used due to security concerns associated with magnetic stripe cards. Criminals can easily skim data from the magnetic stripes, leading to the adoption of more secure technologies such as EMV chip cards, which offer greater protection against fraud.
The use of magnetic stripe cards is still prevalent in regions where chip card adoption is not universal. Magnetic stripe cards are also used in high volumes in the mass transit sector, where they replace paper-based tickets.
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Track data encryption: Data outputted encrypted, e.g. via USB
Magnetic stripe cards, or magstripe cards, have been associated with security concerns as the data can be easily skimmed by criminals. This has led to the adoption of more secure technologies, such as chip cards, which offer greater protection against fraud. However, magstripe cards are still in use, especially in regions where chip card adoption is not yet universal.
The data on a magstripe card is typically divided into three tracks. Track 1 data includes the cardholder's name, the primary account number (PAN), the card expiration date, and discretionary data. Track 2 data contains the PAN, the card expiration date, and discretionary data, but not the cardholder's name. Track 3 data is the least commonly used and least standardised, with varying content and structure across cards.
To enhance security, magstripe readers now generally output encrypted data, often via USB in HID mode. This encrypted data can be decoded using industry-standard decryption algorithms and key derivation techniques. Masked track data, which conceals the PAN, can be recognised by its format, typically beginning with B% and containing many asterisks, ending in ?\*.
Encrypting data on a USB flash drive is a method of securing data by translating it into an unreadable format that requires a password or decryption key to access. This protects data from cyberattacks and unauthorised access. There are various tools and methods available to encrypt and decrypt data on USB drives, such as BitLocker for Windows and Disk Drill for macOS. Additionally, pre-encrypted flash drives are available for purchase, offering convenience and enhanced security.
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Track data decoding: Tools like Parsomatic can be used to decode track data
Magnetic tracking is a technique that involves measuring the magnetic field strength at a specific location. It is used in image-guided surgery and credit card data reading, among other applications.
Credit card data is stored in tracks on the magnetic stripe located on the back of the card. There are typically three tracks, and each track contains different types of data. Track 1 data includes the cardholder's name, the primary account number (PAN), the card expiration date, and discretionary data. Track 2 data contains the PAN, the card expiration date, and discretionary data. Track 3 data is the least commonly used and least standardized, with varying content and structure across cards.
When a credit card is swiped, dipped, or tapped, the card reader collects data from these tracks. This data is often encrypted to protect the cardholder's information. To decode this data, tools like ID TECH's Parsomatic can be used. Parsomatic is a free, self-contained HTML page with no external dependencies or server logic. It can be used in any web browser, on any platform, online or offline.
Parsomatic offers three major functionalities: tag lookup, transaction-data parsing, and TLV parsing. Tag lookup allows users to enter a TLV tag to understand its meaning. Transaction-data parsing enables users to parse blocks of transaction data. TLV parsing facilitates the visualization of ID TECH product transaction data, whether from a magstripe interaction (MSR) or EMV (tag data), in both contact and contactless scenarios.
To use Parsomatic, users can paste their transaction data into the main text area and click Parse. Parsomatic will then display the parsed data in two ways: through color-coded text and a large table. The color-coded text highlights TLV tags in blue, length values in orange, data in black, and unparsed data in red. Hovering over these color-coded items reveals a tooltip explaining their meaning. The table also employs color-coding to distinguish between tag names, lengths, and other elements.
In addition to its parsing capabilities, Parsomatic includes an experimental feature that converts ASCII track data to hex for easier interpretation of data obtained in USB-KB mode. It is important to note that Parsomatic requires all data to be in hex format, and certain data formats, such as NGA and ViVOtech2 protocol, have specific start and end requirements.
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Frequently asked questions
A magnetic stripe card is a type of payment card that contains a magnetic stripe, typically made of a plastic-like film, that stores data. This data can be read by physical card readers, which until recently would output unencrypted data.
Track 1 data is used when the cardholder's name needs to be verified during a transaction, such as when checking into a hotel. It contains the cardholder's name, the primary account number (PAN), the card expiration date, and discretionary data.
Track 2 data is used in most everyday transactions where the cardholder's name does not need to be verified. It contains the PAN, the card expiration date, and discretionary data.
