Magnet card

When purchasing magnet cards (magnetic stripe cards), the most critical factor is the coercivity level. You must choose between HiCo (High Coercivity, 2750-4000 Oe), which is highly resistant to external magnetic fields and ideal for credit cards or access control, and LoCo (Low Coercivity, 300 Oe), which is suitable for short-term use like hotel key cards. Additionally, ensure the card material is high-quality PVC or PET with a standard thickness of 30 mil (0.76mm) to meet ISO 7810 ID-1 standards.

To guarantee performance, verify that the supplier uses flush-bonded stripes rather than surface-mounted ones to prevent peeling. The stripe should meet ISO 7811 standards for magnetic track positioning and encoding density. Request abrasion resistance test reports to ensure the stripe can withstand at least 2,000 to 4,000 swipes without data degradation.

For financial or identification applications, ensure the manufacturer is ISO 9001 certified and follows PCI DSS guidelines if they handle sensitive data. If the cards include a chip (Hybrid Cards), they must be EMV compliant. For environmental markets, ask for RoHS and REACH certification to ensure the PVC materials are free from hazardous substances.

Yes, professional suppliers on Made-in-China.com offer extensive customization. This includes CMYK offset printing, UV spot gloss, holographic overlays for anti-counterfeiting, and signature panels. You can also request pre-encoding services where the supplier writes data to Track 1, 2, or 3 based on your specific database requirements.

Always request a physical pre-production sample that is fully encoded. Test these samples on your local readers/POS systems before authorizing mass production. Use a detailed Data Mapping Sheet to define exactly what information goes into each track to avoid software compatibility issues upon delivery.

Focus on Tiered Pricing; magnet cards are high-volume products where the unit price drops significantly at 10,000, 50,000, and 100,000 units. Negotiate for free spare cards (usually 1-2%) to cover potential encoding failures or physical defects. Also, clarify the mold fees if you require non-standard card shapes or sizes.

Magnet cards are sensitive to static and external magnetic fields. Ensure the supplier uses anti-static packaging and inner boxes of 250 pieces to prevent friction. For shipping, specify that the pallets must be kept away from heavy machinery or large speakers in the cargo hold, as strong magnetic fields can degauss (erase) the cards during transit.

Utilize Secured Trading Services provided by Made-in-China.com to ensure payment is only released after you confirm receipt of goods. For large enterprise orders, consider hiring a third-party inspection agency (like SGS or Intertek) to perform a random sampling test on the magnetic signal strength and printing alignment before the balance payment is made.