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| How To - Encoding Your Own Swipe Cards | ||||||
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| Print Your Own Time Cards You may elect to use a third-party printing company to print your own time cards. You may elect to do this because of certain printer companies who own high-volume card printers, and who can offer very low prices on large orders of identical cards (for example, over 10,000 cards). The following is the information required to encode the magnetic stripe to make the cards compatible with SwipeClock product. Describe the card. • Dimensions: Standard credit card size (3 3/8" x 2 1/8"). • Thickness: 10 to 30 mil plastic (30 mil is recommended, and is the same thickness as normal credit cards). • Magnetic Stripe: Hi Co or Lo Co magnetic stripe for ISO/ABA tracks 1 and 2. • The card number on the magnetic stripe must be printed as variable data somewhere on the card. • For artwork, we recommend a place to write the employee's name on the front of the cards. • Keep in mind that the side of the card opposite the magnetic stripe will receive a lot of scratch damage throughout the lifetime of the card. Don't put the employee's name, or any embossed numbers, or anything else important there. • Unlike credit cards, we suggest that the magnetic stripe be on the bottom half, rather than the top half, of the card. This way, the employee name goes well at the top of the card without scratch damage. The top of the card is usually the only part of the card that's visible when the card is stored in a wall-mounted card rack. Which type of stripe should we use - Hi Co or Lo Co? SwipeClock readers will read either type, but Hi Co is far more resistant to accidental magnetic damage, worth the extra money compared to the employer's hassle of replacing ruined cards, and should always be used whenever possible. Which tracks should be encoded? SwipeClock readers will read either track 1 or 2 depending on the model, so you should encode both tracks with identical information. Use standard ISO/ABA encoding methods just like bank cards (track 1: 210bpi, track 2: 75bpi). Our VxSeries products can read tracks 1, 2, or 3, and will automatically read all three tracks and select whichever track conforms to our format starting with the number 9622. Our Z12/Z14 devices will read all three tracks as well but defaults to track 2. So if using these cards with two different numbers, be sure to add the number for SwipeClock on Track 2. What data should be encoded on these two tracks? Each track should have 12 digits encoded. The first four digits are always "9622," this tells the clock that this card is a SwipeClock time card and not something like Visa. The last eight digits are the actual card number, which can be any eight digit number that does not start with a zero. It is OK (though inadvisable) to have duplicate card numbers as long as they're not used in the same client. Only the 8 digit card number should actually be printed on the card for the user to read. The system discards the 9622 after validating the card - the client/employee should NEVER see it printed. Note: if any other length number, besides 8, after the "9622," is used, the card will be unreadable. It must be 8 digits long. What about "colored" cards (red, blue, etc)? Colored cards are usually "exception" cards, used when clients who have employees with exceptions to the prompting rules (i.e. managers). If you print these, you usually need very few (less than 10% of your order if you choose to do any at all). For blue cards, add two more digits to the end of the code: "16". (This makes fourteen total digits on the stripe instead of twelve). For red cards, use the digits "32." Show me some examples. • Sample regular card number 12345678: • Track 1: 962212345678 • Track 2: 962212345678 • Sample RED card number 55443322 • Track 1: 96225544332232 • Track 2: 96225544332232 How can I see what's encoded on a card? A special diagnostic mode is hidden on the Verifone SwipeClock. To get to it, hold down * and 3 at the same time. The screen will display "diagnostics." Press 4, and it will say "swipe card now." Swiping cards through the reader will display the numbers read from the stripe. | |
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