Transcription of the Magnetic Data Encoding Standards on some Cards

[Carding]

Following is a transcription of the magnetic data encoding standards as used
on ATM cards, credit cards and other Magnetic strip cards.

Track: Density: bits/char: total chars on track:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 1 210 bpi 7 bits/char 79 alphanum. chars
Track 2 75 bpi 5 bits/char 40 numeric chars
Track 3 210 bpi 5 bits/char 107 numeric chars

7 bit/char characters consist of a parity bit, followed by 6 data bits
5 bit/char characters consist of a parity bit, followed by 4 data bits

******************************************************************************
Track 1 as defined by the IATA:
______________________________________________________________________________
| SS | FC | PAN | FS | NAME | FS | Additional data | ES |LRC|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Primary | | Name. |__ |*Expir. date 4|
| Account | | 26 alphanumeric| |*Restriction/type 3|
| Number |___ | characters max | |*Offset or PVN 5|
| 19 dig. max | ------------------ | Discretionary data |
--------------- -----------------------
^

line 44


^SS = Start Sentinel (= "%") |
FS = Field Separator (= "{") no. of chars
ES = End Sentinel (= "?")
FC = Format Code
LRC= Longitudinal Redundancy Check

* = Required by Visa and Mastercard.

Note: Mastercard PAN is variable upto 16 digits length, VISA 13 or 16
digits, including mod 10 check digit.
******************************************************************************
Track 2 as defined by the ABA:
______________________________________________________________________________
| SS | PAN | FS | Additional data | ES |LRC|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Primary | |*Expiration date 4 |
| Account | |*Restriction or type 3 |
| Number | |*Offset or PVN 5 |
| 19 dig. max | | Discretionary data |
---------------------------- --------------------------------
^
SS = Start Sentinel (= 0xb) |
FS = Field Separator (= 0xd) no. of chars.

line 67


^ES = End Sentinel (= 0xf)
LRC= Longitudinal Redundancy Check

* = Required by Visa and Mastercard.

Note: Mastercard PAN is variable upto 16 digits length, VISA 13 or 16
digits, including mod 10 check digit.
******************************************************************************
Track 3 as defined by the TTS: (ISO 4909)
______________________________________________________________________________
| SS | FC | PAN | FS |USE AND SECURITY DATA | Additional data |ES|LRC|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Primary | |*country code 3 or FS|*First Subsidiary |___
| Account | | currency code 3 | account number (SAN-1)|
| Number |___ | currency exponent 1 |___ |___
| 19 dig. max | | Amount auth. per cycle 4|_____*Second subsidiary|
--------------- | amount remaining this cycle 4| account number |
| Cycle begin(validity date 4| (SAN-2) |
| Cycle length 2| |
| Reentry count 1| Relay Marker 1 |
|*PIN control param. 6 or FS | |
| Interchange control 1|*Cryptogr. check |
| PAN service restriction 2| Digits 6 or FS |
| SAN-1 service restriction 2| |
| SAN-2 service restriction 2| Discretionary |
|*Expiration date 4 or FS | Data. |
| Card sequence number 1|-------------------
|*Card security number 9 or FS |
--------------------------------
^
|_no. of chars.

* This field is optional. If an optional field is not used, a field separator
must be encoded.

SS = Start Sentinel (= 0xb)
FS = Field Separator (= 0xd)
ES = End Sentinel (= 0xf)
FC = Format Code (2 digits)
LRC= Longitudinal Redundancy Check

******************************************************************************