Loyalty cards can be used to set customers to transactions using a magnetic stripe or barcode encoded with a customer loyalty card number*. Gift cards are also supported, with the cards encoded with a unique gift card number that can be loaded at the register with set dollar amounts or any amount the customer chooses. Cards may be ordered from any supplier; however, the end result is that the plain text version of a loyalty card or gift card number by itself should be scanned as plain text (to be pasted into the appropriate plain text field) without any added characters. If you're not certain of this, please get the card printers of your choice in touch with your POS partner to confirm your scanner is capable of this. Essentially, as long as your scanners work as a keyboard wedge—meaning that what they scan were as if it was typed with a keyboard—it will read the barcode or magstripe for you correctly. Scanners that come with most POS systems function this way.
PLEASE NOTE - Our recommendation is to always order a couple test cards prior to ordering a full batch to verify proper encoding. The printer should be able to send you a couple so that you can try scanning/swiping them and make sure that they work properly for you.
Below, you may find some guidelines on the card number formatting as well as the typical start/end sentinels used by printers. Again, the key thing is that your scanner is able to translate the card number as a plain text version of just the gift or loyalty card number alone
*Important note regarding Clover POS: Clover will not accept magstripe gift or loyalty cards due to Visa security requirements set in place in that system. It will be necessary to utilize barcode-printed cards instead (see last section of article).
Magnetic Strip Encoding Specifications
Most POS terminals read the card data from Track 1 of the magnetic stripe on the back of the card. However, we also support Track 2. Some clients find it useful to encode both so as to ensure maximum flexibility. If both tracks are encoded, we look at Track 2. These specifications are in compliance the ISO standards for card data format.
Track 1
76 alphanumeric characters max
Start Sentinel* |
% |
Format Code* |
B |
Card Number |
Gift card numbers should be 16 digit, non-sequential numbers (no letters or special characters). There is no strict minimum for loyalty card numbers, but our recommendation is 8-19 alpha-numeric characters. |
End Sentinel* |
? |
Gift card example: %B4444333322221111?
Loyalty card example: %B87654321?
*Encoding standards may vary.
Track 2
37 non-alpha characters max. Note: Track 2 doesn't support alpha characters.
Start Sentinel* |
; |
Card Number |
Gift card numbers should be 16 digit, non-sequential numbers. While loyalty card numbers don't have a strict minimum, our recommendation is 8-19 numbers. No letters or special characters allowed in Track 2. |
End Sentinel* |
? |
Gift Card Example: ;4444333322221111?
Loyalty Card Example: ;87654321?
*Encoding standards may vary.
Barcode Printing Specifications
There are many types of barcodes. However, your printer may request that you specify what type of barcode you want printed on the card. We recommend 3 of 9 (AKA Barcode 39) as the barcode type. The card numbers should be numbered as stated above, although start/end sentinels and format codes may vary. Your POS partner and card printer should be able to sort out any compatibility issues with the card encoding itself to get it working with your scanners. No special characters should be added to card numbers themselves; each card number must scan in plain text by itself with nothing extra added to the number.
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