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 answer total)

Best answer: 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