Debit Card Scanners

September 22, 2004 5:19 PM

Why does putting tape or a piece of paper over a magnetic strip on a debit car make it scan when it fails on normal swipes?
posted by srboisvert to shopping (1 comment total)

Cecil Adams answered this not too long ago (scroll down.) Essentially, it smooths out bumps & scratches in the card surface that would otherwise be accidentally interpreted as data.
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:22 PM on September 22, 2004