What Is a HiCo Magnetic Stripe Card? Complete Overview

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Swipe. Encode. Read. It sounds simple - and in practice, it is. But behind that effortless transaction lies a surprisingly sophisticated piece of technology that has powered card programs across industries for decades. The magnetic stripe card is, without question, one of the most versatile and cost-effective tools a business can deploy. And within that category, the HiCo magnetic stripe card stands apart as the gold standard for durability, reliability, and read consistency.

Whether you run a hotel, a gym, a mid-sized retail chain, or a corporate office, understanding the difference between HiCo and LoCo magnetic stripes is not just a technical curiosity - it is a purchasing decision that affects how well your card program performs every single day. CPE has supplied both types for over 25 years, and the guidance below comes from real-world experience helping more than 100,000 customers across the United States build card programs that actually work.

Feature HiCo Magnetic Stripe LoCo Magnetic Stripe
Coercivity Level 2750 Oe (Oersteds) 300 Oe (Oersteds)
Durability High - resists demagnetization Moderate - easier to corrupt
Best Use Cases Access control, loyalty, ID, membership Short-term hotel keys, event tickets
Common Colors Black stripe (standard) Brown stripe (standard)
Printer Compatibility Requires HiCo-capable encoder Works with most standard encoders
Relative Card Cost Slightly higher per card Lower per card

Magnetic stripe cards store data using tiny magnetic particles embedded in a thin band of material - typically iron oxide - laminated onto the card surface. When a card reader passes over this stripe, it interprets changes in the magnetic field as binary data. Simple in concept, but the execution matters enormously. The density and strength of those magnetic particles determine how resistant the stripe is to corruption from everyday hazards: proximity to phones, wallet clasps, other cards, even certain types of fabric.

That resistance is measured in Oersteds (Oe) - the unit of magnetic coercivity. The higher the coercivity, the more external magnetic force is needed to overwrite or corrupt the stored data. HiCo cards clock in at approximately 2750 Oe. LoCo cards typically run around 300 Oe. That nine-fold difference is not trivial. It is the difference between a card that lasts through thousands of swipes and a card that loses its data after a bad week in someone's back pocket.

Think of coercivity as the card's magnetic immune system. A low-coercivity stripe is relatively easy to write to - and relatively easy to corrupt. That is by design for applications where the card is intended to be temporary or frequently rewritten, such as hotel room keys or event wristband alternatives. But for anything meant to live in a wallet for months or years, low coercivity becomes a liability.

High-coercivity stripes require a stronger magnetic write head to encode data in the first place, which is why HiCo-capable card printers are essential if you are planning to encode these cards in-house. The payoff is substantial: a HiCo stripe encoded correctly will retain its data reliably under conditions that would obliterate a LoCo stripe. For loyalty cards, employee badges, and access control cards, that stability is not optional - it is the whole point.

Standard magnetic stripe cards follow the ISO/IEC 7811 specification, which defines three data tracks on the magnetic stripe. Track 1 holds up to 79 alphanumeric characters. Track 2 holds up to 40 numeric characters. Track 3 holds up to 107 numeric characters. Most card programs use Track 1 and Track 2 - sometimes both, sometimes just one, depending on the system reading the card.

HiCo cards can be encoded on any or all of these tracks, and the data remains stable across the card's working life when encoded properly. This flexibility allows a single card format to serve multiple data needs. An employee badge might carry a name and employee ID on Track 1, a numeric access code on Track 2, and leave Track 3 blank for future use - all on a standard CR80 card that fits in any wallet or badge holder.

HiCo stripes are almost universally black. LoCo stripes are typically brown. This color difference exists because the two types use different iron oxide formulations with different particle densities. When designing a custom card, the stripe color becomes part of the visual design - and for most professional card programs, the black stripe of a HiCo card integrates cleanly into dark-background designs or can be positioned to complement lighter layouts.

Some organizations specifically request the stripe color to match a design aesthetic, and CPE carries both black and specialty stripe options to accommodate those needs. But here is the practical truth: the stripe's function matters far more than its appearance. If your card program demands data integrity over time, HiCo is the right choice regardless of color preference. The visual element is a secondary consideration to the performance one.

The honest answer is: almost everyone who needs cards that last. HiCo magnetic stripe cards are the workhorse of serious card programs in virtually every industry. Their durability, compatibility with standard card reader infrastructure, and low per-unit cost relative to smart chip alternatives make them the default choice for organizations that want proven, reliable performance without overengineering the solution.

That said, not every application demands HiCo. Understanding where HiCo excels - and where a LoCo or RFID card might actually serve better - is part of what CPE brings to every client conversation. Matching the card technology to the actual use case is how you build a card program that runs smoothly for years without constant troubleshooting or card replacement costs.

Retailers who switch from paper punch cards to plastic loyalty cards consistently see dramatic engagement improvements. The data CPE has observed across its customer base aligns with industry research suggesting plastic gift cards outperform paper alternatives by 35-50% in sales lift. The reason is straightforward: a plastic card lives in a wallet. It stays visible. It gets used again. A paper punch card gets lost, torn, or forgotten at the bottom of a purse.

For loyalty programs, HiCo cards are ideal because the card needs to be swiped hundreds of times over its lifetime without data degradation. Each swipe at checkout is a brand touchpoint - and a card that fails to read creates friction exactly where you want the customer to feel rewarded and appreciated. HiCo magnetic stripe loyalty cards eliminate that failure mode entirely, keeping the transaction smooth and the customer experience positive.

Corporate ID badges and access control cards face some of the harshest daily conditions of any card application. They are clipped to lanyards, stuffed into pockets, set on desks near computers and phones, pressed against other cards in badge holders. A LoCo card in this environment would likely degrade within weeks. A HiCo card, properly encoded and printed on quality CR80 stock, handles this abuse and keeps working.

For access control specifically, the stakes are higher than inconvenience. A card that fails to read at a secure entrance causes delays, frustration, and potentially a security gap as the employee tries to explain themselves to reception. CPE recommends HiCo magnetic stripe cards for virtually all employee badge and access control applications where magnetic stripe is the chosen technology. The modest cost premium over LoCo is recovered many times over in reduced card replacement frequency.

Membership cards carry a unique burden: they signal legitimacy and permanence. When a gym hands a new member a plastic card with a magnetic stripe, it communicates that this is a real membership - not a temporary arrangement. That psychological weight matters. Members who receive a plastic card are more likely to feel committed to the relationship than those who receive a paper printout or a punch card.

From a functional standpoint, membership cards need to survive at minimum a year of regular use - often much longer. HiCo magnetic stripe cards are routinely expected to last 3-5 years in wallet conditions, which aligns well with annual or multi-year membership programs. The durability of HiCo encoding ensures the card stays readable for the full membership term, reducing administrative overhead and member frustration.

The HiCo versus LoCo decision is fundamentally about intended lifespan and the consequences of data corruption. If a card is meant to be used once, twice, or for a few days, the cost savings of LoCo are real and the reduced durability is irrelevant. But if a card is meant to represent an ongoing relationship - with an employer, a loyalty program, a gym, a club - then HiCo is the appropriate technology.

There is also a reader compatibility consideration. Most modern card readers can handle both HiCo and LoCo. But some older or specialized reader systems are calibrated for one coercivity level specifically. If your existing infrastructure is already in place, it is worth confirming which stripe type your readers are optimized for before ordering in volume. CPE's team can help navigate that conversation.

Hotel key cards are the classic LoCo use case. A guest checks in for two or three days, uses the card to access their room several times, then leaves the card behind or discards it. There is no need for a card that lasts three years in a wallet. The LoCo stripe is written fresh at check-in for each guest, and the relatively easy writability of LoCo is actually an advantage - the desk encoder does not need to generate a strong magnetic field to write the new access code.

Short-term event credentials also suit LoCo well. A conference badge with a magnetic stripe that grants access to specific sessions for two days does not need HiCo durability. In these contexts, choosing LoCo is smart cost management, not a compromise. The card does its job and is retired. Understanding this distinction prevents organizations from overspending on HiCo where LoCo would serve equally well.

  • Employee badges that are used daily at building access points for months or years
  • Loyalty and rewards cards that customers swipe hundreds of times over the card's life
  • Membership cards for annual or multi-year program enrollments
  • Student ID cards that need to survive an entire academic year or longer
  • Gift cards with stored value that must be reliably read at every point of redemption
  • Casino player cards that face constant handling and environmental exposure
  • Healthcare ID cards where read failure causes genuine operational disruption

One detail that catches organizations off guard: not every card printer can encode HiCo stripes. Encoding a HiCo card requires a magnetic encoder module capable of generating the stronger magnetic field needed to write to the high-coercivity media. Printers from Evolis, Zebra, and Fargo - brands CPE carries and supports - are available in configurations that include HiCo encoding capability, but it must be specified at purchase.

If your organization is setting up an in-house card printing operation, getting the printer configuration right from the start saves significant headaches. A printer with only a LoCo encoder cannot reliably write HiCo stripes - it may appear to work, producing cards that initially seem to read correctly but fail prematurely because the encoding is weak. Proper HiCo encoding requires the right hardware, full stop. Contact CPE at 800.835.7919 to confirm your printer configuration supports your stripe type before ordering cards in volume.

One of the most practical decisions in any card program is whether to purchase blank HiCo cards or go straight to custom-printed options. The right answer depends on your volume, your in-house printing capability, and how frequently your card design changes. Both approaches have genuine advantages, and CPE supplies both with the same standard of quality.

Blank CR80 HiCo cards give organizations maximum flexibility and control. You purchase the cards, print and encode them in-house using your own card printer, and fully own the production process. This is ideal for organizations that need to update card data frequently - such as employee ID programs that onboard new staff regularly - or for programs where customization happens at the individual card level.

A blank HiCo card is a raw resource that becomes whatever your program needs it to be. Print it with your logo and employee photo for an ID badge. Encode it with a loyalty account number for a retail rewards program. Add a signature panel. Add a barcode on the back. The card itself is the same - a standard 30 mil CR80 ISO 7810-compliant PVC card with a HiCo magnetic stripe - and what you do with it in your printer determines its function.

The cost advantage of blank cards in volume is significant. For organizations printing 200 or more cards per month, the per-card cost of blanks plus in-house printing often comes in substantially below the cost of ordering custom-printed cards for every production run. The upfront investment in a quality card printer pays for itself relatively quickly in programs of this scale, and the operational control you gain is genuinely valuable.

Custom-printed HiCo cards make sense when design consistency is critical and in-house printing is not practical. Retail chains that need thousands of identically branded loyalty or gift cards printed to professional graphic standards will typically find custom print runs more efficient than attempting in-house production at that scale. The print quality achievable in professional card production runs - full-color, edge-to-edge, with precise color matching - often exceeds what in-house printers deliver.

For organizations without a dedicated card printer, custom-printed HiCo cards with pre-encoded stripes are also the simplest path to a functioning card program. You specify the design, the encoding format, and the quantity. CPE handles production and delivery. Cards arrive ready to distribute. There is no equipment to maintain, no ribbon supplies to manage, no encoding troubleshooting - the program simply works from day one.

Many mature card programs use a hybrid approach: custom-printed cards for the branded outer design, with individual encoding and personalization handled in-house during distribution. A retailer might order 10,000 custom-printed loyalty cards with their branding and return to CPE for blank HiCo stock for their employee ID program running simultaneously. Each approach serves its purpose in the overall card infrastructure.

The flexibility to mix and match blank and custom cards from a single supplier simplifies procurement and ensures consistency in card stock quality. When all your cards come from the same source, compatibility across programs is a given rather than a concern. CPE operates as a genuine strategic partner in this context - not just a card vendor, but a resource for thinking through how the pieces fit together.

After more than 25 years in the card business and conversations with tens of thousands of card program managers, certain questions come up consistently. The answers below represent the most useful and actionable guidance CPE can offer based on real purchasing and program management scenarios.

Yes, most modern card readers will read both HiCo and LoCo stripes. The reader detects the encoded data regardless of coercivity level in most configurations. However, there are exceptions, particularly in legacy systems or highly specialized readers that were calibrated specifically for one coercivity type. Before mixing stripe types in a single infrastructure, confirm with your reader manufacturer or your IT team that the hardware handles both reliably.

The more relevant question is usually whether your encoding setup - your card printer or dedicated encoder - can write to both types. If your printer has a HiCo encoder module, it can typically also write LoCo stripes. But a printer configured with only a LoCo encoder cannot reliably write HiCo stripes. Know your hardware before ordering cards, and when in doubt, reach out to CPE for guidance.

With proper encoding and normal wallet or badge holder use, HiCo magnetic stripe cards routinely last 3-5 years before showing any degradation in read reliability. Cards stored near strong magnetic fields - industrial equipment, certain speakers, powerful magnets - may degrade faster. Cards used in extremely high-swipe environments, such as a frequently-used gym turnstile, may show wear on the stripe surface itself before the magnetic encoding degrades.

Physical stripe wear - scratching from repeated reader contact - is actually more common than magnetic data corruption for HiCo cards in high-use applications. In these cases, a card carrier or protective sleeve can extend usable life significantly. CPE carries both card carriers and sleeves for exactly this purpose. Protecting the physical stripe surface is as important as protecting the magnetic data.

Minimums vary by card type and configuration, but CPE is specifically equipped to serve organizations at virtually any scale - from small nonprofits ordering 50 cards a month to enterprise clients running production in the tens of thousands. Unlike some suppliers who impose high minimums that make small programs uneconomical, CPE has structured its inventory and operations to make HiCo magnetic stripe cards accessible regardless of program size.

For blank HiCo cards, quantities as low as a single box of 500 are typically available. Custom-printed HiCo cards may have different minimums depending on the design complexity and encoding requirements. The best path is always a direct conversation about your specific program needs. Call CPE at 800.835.7919 to discuss quantity options and pricing that fits your volume.

HiCo magnetic stripe cards are excellent for many applications, but they are not the right tool for every job. As card programs evolve and security requirements increase, some organizations find that contactless RFID or smart chip technology better serves their needs. Understanding when to consider an upgrade is part of building a card program with genuine long-term value.

RFID and smart chip cards do not require physical contact with a reader, which eliminates stripe wear entirely. They can store significantly more data than a magnetic stripe and can support encryption and mutual authentication - security features that magnetic stripes simply cannot match. For high-security access control or sophisticated loyalty programs with complex data structures, these technologies earn their higher cost.

RFID proximity cards operate by communicating wirelessly with a reader at short range - typically a few centimeters to a meter depending on the frequency. Standard 125 kHz proximity cards are common in basic access control applications and are simple, reliable, and cost-effective. Higher-frequency 13.56 MHz cards, including those using the MIFARE DESFire standard, support more sophisticated data exchange and encryption for environments with higher security requirements.

CPE carries both proximity access cards and MIFARE DESFire smart cards for organizations ready to make that step. The transition from magnetic stripe to contactless does not have to happen all at once - many organizations run hybrid programs where certain card types use HiCo stripes and others use RFID, with the technology choice driven by the specific application's requirements. Technology decisions should always follow operational requirements, not trends.

Contact chip cards - the cards with the small gold or silver contact pad visible on the front - store data on an embedded integrated circuit. They are capable of running small applications, storing encrypted credentials, and interacting with readers in ways that go far beyond what a magnetic stripe can do. Casino player card programs, sophisticated loyalty platforms, and secure ID applications increasingly leverage smart chip technology for its capability and security profile.

The tradeoff is cost and reader infrastructure. Smart chip cards require compatible readers, and the cards themselves cost more per unit than HiCo magnetic stripe cards. For many programs, HiCo magnetic stripe remains the most practical and cost-effective solution. The question to ask is not which technology is most advanced, but which technology solves your actual problem most efficiently. CPE helps organizations answer that question with experience rather than upsell motivation.

Beyond standard CR80 PVC stock, CPE offers a range of specialty card formats that solve specific program needs. Clear plastic cards give a distinctive visual look that makes a card stand out in any wallet. Frosted cards offer a premium translucent effect. Custom die-cut shapes break the standard rectangle format entirely for applications where visual differentiation matters.

For organizations seeking a truly premium product, luxury metal cards in stainless steel, brass, and gold deliver a physical presence that no plastic card can match. These are typically reserved for top-tier loyalty programs, executive membership cards, or situations where the card itself is meant to communicate exceptional status. Any of these specialty formats can incorporate HiCo magnetic stripe encoding where needed, combining distinctive aesthetics with the proven data reliability of HiCo technology.

A card program is only as good as the foundation it is built on - and that foundation starts with choosing the right card technology for the right application. HiCo magnetic stripe cards have earned their place as the go-to solution for loyalty programs, employee ID systems, membership cards, access control, and dozens of other applications precisely because they deliver consistent, reliable performance day after day, swipe after swipe.

With more than 25 years of experience, over 100,000 customers served, and more than 50 million cards sold across the United States, Plastic Card ID brings a depth of practical knowledge to every card program decision that is simply not available from a catalog-only supplier. Whether you are building your first card program or refining a system that has been running for years, the right guidance makes a measurable difference in outcomes.

Ready to get started or have specific questions about HiCo magnetic stripe cards for your organization? Reach out to the team at Plastic Card ID by calling 800.835.7919 today. The right card program is closer than you think, and the team is ready to help you build it right from the first order.