---
title: "Magnetic Swipe Cards"
slug: "magnetic-swipe-cards"
updated: 2024-01-30T19:48:17Z
published: 2024-01-30T19:48:17Z
canonical: "www.procaresupport.com/magnetic-swipe-cards"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.procaresupport.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Magnetic Swipe Cards

This article covers the type of magnetic swipe cards that may be used for Procare Check In.

## Magnetic Cards for Check In

Most any type of card, with a magnetic stripe, can be used with the [Procare Card Reader](/procare-desktop/docs/card-reader) to check a child (or employee) in/out including: grocery club cards, membership cards, credit or debit cards, etc. You may also order your own cards through a third-party vendor of your choosing.

## Can the Cards be Generic?

No. The magnetic strip cannot be generic, in other words, the information encoded on the cards cannot be identical from one card to the next. Each card must have unique information so it can be linked to a particular pickup person (or employee) when checking in/out.

## What Track Should be Used?

When ordering magnetic cards you may be asked if the information should be encoded on track 1, 2 or 3. The answer is it doesn’t matter. Encoding on any track will be fine.

## What are HiCo and LoCo Cards?

The “Co” means coercivity; this is a measurement of the magnetic force needed to “demagnetize” the strip. High coercivity cards (HiCo) are usually more expensive, but are more resilient to damage by magnets. For Procare Check In, either will work.