PVC, PC and PET Magnetic Stripe Films for Card Making

PVC, PC and PET Magnetic Stripe Films for Card Manufacturing

Wallis supplies PVC, PC and PET magnetic stripe films for professional card manufacturers, smart card factories, security printers, converters, distributors, and OEM card projects. The transparent film combines a protective card overlay, a lamination bonding surface, and an integrated magnetic stripe for efficient production of magnetic cards.

HiCo and LoCo magnetic stripe options are available for hotel key cards, access cards, employee cards, membership cards, loyalty cards, transportation cards, ID cards, financial cards, gift cards, and hybrid smart cards. Material, thickness, stripe coercivity, width, position, color, sheet layout, coating, packaging, and labeling can be customized.

Magnetic Stripe Film Specifications

Final specifications must be confirmed through the approved technical data sheet, stripe-position drawing and production sample. Actual performance depends on the magnetic grade, card structure, ink, coating, laminator, encoder and reader.

What Is Magnetic Stripe Film for Card Making?

Magnetic stripe film is a functional card material containing a magnetizable recording layer. For laminated card production, the stripe is normally integrated into a transparent overlay sheet that protects the printed card surface and provides the magnetic data area.

Card manufacturers stack the magnetic stripe overlay with printed core sheets and other functional layers. The structure is laminated under controlled heat and pressure, cooled, punched into finished cards, and then encoded and read-tested.

Integrating the magnetic stripe into the overlay can reduce separate stripe-application steps, improve stripe-position consistency and simplify bulk card production.

Magnetic Stripe Cards

Finished Magnetic Cards

PVC, PC and PET Material Options

PVC Magnetic Stripe Film

PVC is widely used for conventional plastic cards because it offers good printability, flexibility, established lamination performance and cost-efficient mass production.

PVC magnetic stripe overlay is commonly selected for hotel key cards, gift cards, loyalty cards, membership cards, access cards, employee badges and general commercial card programs.

PC Polycarbonate Magnetic Stripe Film

Polycarbonate is selected for card structures requiring higher impact resistance, heat stability, dimensional stability and compatibility with specialized personalization processes.

PC magnetic stripe overlay can be evaluated for long-life identification documents, government credentials, driver's licenses, secure employee cards and hybrid cards. Laser personalization requires a suitable laser-reactive PC grade and qualified card construction.

PET Magnetic Stripe Film

PET provides good tensile strength, dimensional stability and resistance to routine moisture and chemical exposure. It can be used in durable commercial cards and composite card structures.

PET magnetic stripe film should be matched with compatible core sheets, coatings, inks and lamination conditions. The recyclability of a finished card depends on all materials, coatings, adhesives, chips, antennas and local recycling systems.

HiCo and LoCo Magnetic Stripe Grades

LoCo Magnetic Stripe

LoCo means low coercivity. A common project specification is approximately 300 Oe. LoCo stripes require a lower magnetic field for writing and are often used for hotel key cards, temporary access cards, event cards, promotional cards and frequently rewritten credentials.

LoCo data can be more easily affected by strong external magnetic fields, so the card environment and expected service life should be evaluated.

HiCo Magnetic Stripe

HiCo means high coercivity. Common project options can include approximately 2750 Oe, 3000 Oe or 4000 Oe. HiCo stripes provide greater resistance to accidental magnetic erasure and are commonly selected for frequently handled or longer-service cards.

Applications may include employee cards, transport cards, access credentials, membership cards, financial cards and identification cards.

Intermediate and Customized Magnetic Grades

Specifications such as 600 Oe or 650 Oe may be available for specific applications. These grades should not be selected only by numerical value; they must be matched with the encoder, reader, rewriting requirement and existing card system.

How to Choose the Correct Grade

Choose LoCo for frequently rewritten or shorter-life cards where the system is designed for low-coercivity encoding. Choose HiCo when improved resistance to accidental erasure and longer-term use are required. Always verify compatibility with the intended encoder and reader.

How Magnetic Stripe Films Work

The stripe contains magnetic particles that can be oriented by a compatible encoder. During encoding, the machine creates a controlled sequence of magnetic transitions corresponding to the required digital data.

When the finished card is swiped through or inserted into a compatible reader, the read head detects the magnetic transitions and converts them into data used by the corresponding access, hospitality, membership, ticketing or financial system.

The magnetic stripe is a recording medium rather than a complete security system. Security depends on the data format, backend authentication, reader controls, credential management and any additional chip or anti-counterfeiting technology.

Magnetic Stripe Film Roll

Magnetic Stripe Film Sheets

Structure of Magnetic Stripe Overlay Film

Transparent Base Film

The PVC, PC or PET base film provides the transparent protective surface and determines much of the overlay's mechanical, optical and thermal behavior.

Lamination Bonding Layer

A standard or strong bonding coating is applied to the card-contact side. The coating helps the overlay adhere to compatible printed core sheets during heat-and-pressure lamination.

Magnetic Recording Layer

The magnetic layer contains particles formulated for the selected LoCo or HiCo recording performance. Its composition, thickness and uniformity affect encoding and reading consistency.

Protective Stripe Surface

The visible stripe surface protects the magnetic layer from routine handling and can be supplied in black, brown, metallic or customized colors.

Release or Transfer Layer

Certain stripe constructions use transfer and release layers during manufacturing. The exact structure depends on whether the product is supplied as a magnetic overlay, transfer stripe or other customized format.

Key Benefits for Card Manufacturers

Integrated Overlay and Magnetic Function

The magnetic stripe is incorporated into the protective overlay, reducing the need for a separate stripe-application process after card printing.

Strong Lamination Bonding

A suitable coating helps the film bond with printed card-core sheets and can reduce weak adhesion, edge lifting, bubbles and layer separation when the correct lamination process is used.

Consistent Stripe Position

The stripe can be manufactured according to an approved sheet-layout drawing, supporting repeatable alignment after lamination and card punching.

Printed Surface Protection

The clear overlay protects printed graphics, photographs, text, barcodes, numbers and logos from normal abrasion, dirt, moisture and repeated handling.

Multiple Material Choices

PVC, PC and PET options allow buyers to match the overlay with different card cores, service-life requirements, personalization methods and manufacturing processes.

OEM Production Flexibility

Thickness, sheet dimensions, stripe coercivity, width, position, color, surface, coating, packaging and labels can be customized for different card programs.

Magnetic Stripe Film Applications

Hotel Key Cards

LoCo or system-specific magnetic stripes can be used for hotel cards that are encoded and reissued according to guest stays. Compatibility must be checked with the hotel lock encoder and reader.

Access Control and Employee Cards

HiCo magnetic stripe films can be evaluated for employee cards, facility access cards, campus cards, visitor credentials and parking-access programs requiring frequent use.

Membership and Loyalty Cards

Retailers, gyms, clubs, libraries, entertainment venues and service providers can use magnetic cards for customer identification, point collection and membership management.

Gift and Promotional Cards

PVC magnetic stripe overlay is commonly suitable for gift cards, promotional cards, event cards and prepaid commercial programs requiring cost-efficient bulk production.

Transportation and Ticketing Cards

Magnetic cards can support parking, ticketing, fare collection and transportation systems that continue to use compatible swipe-card infrastructure.

Banking and Financial Cards

HiCo magnetic stripe materials may be evaluated for financial cards. Finished cards must meet the issuer's technical, security, certification and payment-program requirements.

Hybrid Magnetic and Smart Cards

Magnetic stripe functionality can be combined with contact chips, RFID or NFC inlays, barcodes, QR codes, signature panels and printed security elements. The complete card structure must be tested before mass production.

Customized Membership Cards

Printed Magnetic Stripe Cards

How to Select the Correct Magnetic Stripe Film

1. Confirm the Card Application

Define whether the card will be used for hospitality, access control, membership, transportation, banking, identification, gift-card or hybrid smart-card purposes.

2. Select PVC, PC or PET

Match the overlay material with the card core, printing ink, lamination equipment, personalization method, expected service life and project budget.

3. Choose HiCo or LoCo

Confirm the coercivity required by the existing encoder and reader. Do not assume that a higher Oe number is automatically suitable for every system.

4. Define Stripe Width and Tracks

State whether the card requires one, two or three tracks, and provide the required stripe width and encoded-track position.

5. Provide a Stripe-Position Drawing

The drawing should show the finished-card dimensions, stripe width, distance from the card edge, card orientation, sheet layout, cutting marks and positional tolerance.

6. Confirm the Coating and Ink

Provide the printing process, ink type, curing method, print coverage and card-core material so that standard or strong coating can be evaluated.

7. Test Samples

Test the film with the actual printed core, laminator, punching machine, encoder, reader and finished-card acceptance criteria before bulk production.

Card Lamination and Production Process

Prepare the Printed Core Sheets

Print the card-core sheets using the approved ink, drying or curing method, registration marks and card layout.

Check Overlay Orientation

Confirm the coated side, magnetic stripe side, stripe direction, front or rear orientation and card layout before stacking.

Stack the Card Layers

Stack the front overlay, printed core layers, internal inlay or chip layer, rear printed core and rear magnetic overlay in the approved sequence.

Laminate Under Approved Conditions

Use the qualified temperature, pressure, heating time, cooling time, release plates and stacking method established during sample testing. Different materials require different processing windows.

Cool and Condition the Sheets

Controlled cooling helps stabilize the laminated structure and reduce warping, bubbles, deformation and uneven bonding.

Punch the Cards

Punch the laminated sheet into finished cards and inspect dimensions, thickness, stripe position, edge bonding, flatness and surface appearance.

Encode and Verify

Encode the required magnetic tracks using the production encoder, then verify data accuracy, swipe direction, signal quality and reader compatibility.

Quality Control and Testing

Film and Coating Inspection

• Material and coating-grade verification.

• Thickness and sheet-dimension inspection.

• Transparency, haze, gloss and surface-finish inspection.

• Dust, scratch, wrinkle, pinhole and contamination inspection.

• Coating uniformity and coated-side identification.

• Trial lamination, flatness and bonding evaluation.

Magnetic Stripe Inspection

• HiCo or LoCo grade confirmation.

• Stripe width, location, direction and edge-quality inspection.

• Surface continuity, color and visual-defect inspection.

• Stripe adhesion and resistance to processing damage.

• Encoder writing and reader verification.

• Track configuration and data-accuracy testing.

Finished-Card Testing

• Finished-card dimensions and thickness.

• Stripe position relative to the card edge.

• Surface appearance and print visibility.

• Layer adhesion, edge bonding and delamination.

• Flatness, bending and routine handling performance.

• Encoding, reading, swipe direction and system compatibility.

Standards and Reader Compatibility

Low-coercivity and high-coercivity magnetic card projects may be designed and tested according to the relevant parts of ISO/IEC 7811 where international interchange or formal compliance is required.

Raw magnetic stripe film supply does not automatically establish finished-card compliance. Compliance depends on the final card dimensions, stripe location, magnetic characteristics, encoding, construction, personalization and completed card testing.

Buyers should provide the intended encoder, reader, track format, coercivity and applicable standard before ordering production material.

Packaging, Storage and Global Shipping

Magnetic stripe films must be protected from dust, moisture, scratching, bending, excessive pressure, uncontrolled heat, direct sunlight and strong magnetic fields during storage and transportation.

• Protective PE film or clean inner wrapping.

• Moisture-resistant kraft paper or sealed bags.

• Flat cartons, reinforced boxes, wooden cases or pallets.

• Corner, edge and surface protection.

• Horizontal storage to reduce deformation.

• Material, thickness, coercivity, stripe direction and batch labels.

• Customized shipping marks, packing lists and OEM labels.

Reinforced Export Packaging

Palletized Global Shipping

Why Choose Wallis as Your Magnetic Stripe Film Supplier?

Wallis supplies card materials to card manufacturers, smart card factories, security printers, converters, personalization companies, distributors and OEM customers worldwide.

• PVC, PC, PET and related card-material options.

• HiCo, LoCo and customized magnetic grades.

• Custom thickness, sheet size, stripe width and stripe position.

• Standard, strong-coated, laserable and magnetic overlay options.

• Sample support for lamination, encoding and reading tests.

• OEM packaging, labeling and batch traceability.

• One-stop supply of overlay, core sheet, RFID inlay and related card materials.

Wallis Exhibitions

Global B2B Customers

Wallis Factory

Frequently Asked Questions

What is magnetic stripe film used for?

Magnetic stripe film provides a machine-readable data area on plastic cards. When integrated into a coated overlay, it also protects the printed card surface during and after lamination.

What is the difference between PVC, PC and PET magnetic stripe films?

PVC is commonly selected for cost-efficient general cards. PC is used for higher-durability and specialized personalization projects. PET provides good strength and dimensional stability for durable commercial or composite card structures.

Which material is the most durable?

Polycarbonate is generally selected for card constructions requiring higher impact resistance and long service life. Final durability still depends on the material grade, card structure, coating, lamination and finished-card testing.

What is the difference between HiCo and LoCo?

LoCo stripes require a lower magnetic field for writing and are often used for frequently rewritten or shorter-life cards. HiCo stripes require stronger encoding and provide greater resistance to accidental magnetic erasure.

Are 300 Oe, 600 Oe, 2750 Oe and 3000 Oe available?

These grades can be evaluated according to project requirements. Availability depends on the material, stripe width, color, supply format, quantity, encoder and reader compatibility.

What magnetic stripe widths are available?

Common reference widths include 6.35mm, 8.4mm and 12.7mm. Customized widths can be evaluated according to track configuration, card design and production requirements.

Can the stripe position be customized?

Yes. Provide a drawing showing the finished-card dimensions, stripe width, stripe direction, distance from the card edge, sheet layout, cutting marks and tolerance.

Can the film be supplied in sheets and rolls?

Sheet, slit-film and roll formats can be discussed. Final availability depends on the material, thickness, coating, stripe construction, equipment and order quantity.

Can magnetic stripe film be combined with RFID or contact chips?

Yes. A hybrid card can include a magnetic stripe together with a contact chip, RFID or NFC inlay, barcode, QR code or signature panel. The complete construction must be tested before mass production.

Is the film compatible with every card reader?

Compatibility cannot be guaranteed with every reader. The coercivity, stripe width, track location, encoding format, signal quality, card construction, encoder and reader must be matched and tested.

Can magnetic stripe color be customized?

Black and brown are common options. Gold, silver, blue, red and other customized colors may be available subject to magnetic grade, physical sample approval, minimum order quantity and production feasibility.

Does a magnetic stripe provide card security by itself?

No. A magnetic stripe is a data-recording medium. Card security depends on the encoded information, backend authentication, reader controls, credential management and any additional chip or security features.

Can samples be tested before bulk production?

Yes. Samples should be tested for printing compatibility, lamination bonding, stripe position, punching accuracy, encoding, reading, card flatness and finished-card appearance.

What information is required for a quotation?

Please provide the material, thickness, sheet or roll dimensions, HiCo or LoCo grade, coercivity, stripe width, position drawing, color, coating, card application, encoder, reader, quantity, packaging and destination.