Best credit card readers according to redditors

This just made me scream internally as a CyberSec graduate.

There are card readers that you can buy as low as $16 that give you the full number of the card as if you were paying at a store. Don’t do this. At all. Even if it is cool. Follow /u/hat_like_dad’s advice.

Without free access to a Reader/Encoder, This will be a ~$100 investment. Get one of these (Or something similar). It's pretty straight forward the ELI5 verision goes something like:

• Install Software/Drivers/Plug it in
  
• Read Info on card (swipe it)
  
• Click a few things (Write to card)
  
• Swipe blank/old card... Write the info to the card
  
  Much like what someone does to make you a key at a hotel.
  
  EDIT: Here is a video (it has an annoying text-to-speech walk through but has everything you need to know).

Can anyone recommend a good cheap card swipe scanner to use for tracking gift cards without having to type all the info in?

Found this one on Amazon which got an A from a FakeSpot but prefer churned recommendations to Amazon reviewers.

MSR90 USB Swipe Magnetic Credit Card Reader 3 Tracks Mini Smart Card Reader MSR605 MSR606 Deftun https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DUB4GVO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D3g4BbRQSR2RF

Man what a fun problem to work out. Just an idea, but if you were going for speed you could buy something like this https://www.amazon.com/Deftun-3-Track-Magnetic-Magstripe-Scanner/dp/B01DVWQ2BO and have people use their license to sign in.

you don't need a breadboard or any external circuitry. a usb card reader shows up like a keyboard, typically. some of the super cheap ones show up as serial devices that transmit the card data.

what you Need: information, first. how many tracks of data are on your ID? what track has the ID number that you're going to use? if you're doing it as a project and you've got a sign-off on it, ask your school IT department. someone there should know, hopefully!

Then you need a USB card reader that reads the number of tracks your card contains.

a Pi of some sort, and then you're just filtering and processing text. you could probably write it in bash, if you felt like it. I'd use python, but you should be able to use any language capable of listening for keyboard input.

edit: you don't even need to worry about tracks now, https://www.amazon.com/ETEKJOY-3-Track-Magnetic-Stripe-MagStripe/dp/B01N4L19CR/ref=sr_1_3 3 track readers are under $20 on amazon. =)

I've never taken one apart, nor have I really put hands on one - I'm just spitballing the things that seem logical given the little I know about PCI compliance standards.

There has to be some way for a shop owner to replace the card reader fairly easily - I think generally they are purchased with the encryption keys pre-loaded by the manufacturer, or maybe by the transaction processing company. This one has remotely-programmable keys, it seems. This other one has a review stating:

>Credit card processing company wanted a boat load of money for a new terminal, found this one here on Amazon for much less.

That would imply to me that the encryption keys are either remotely programmable by the processing company, or the keys are standardized. Remote access of a credit card terminal to change the keys seems pretty unlikely to be compliant, but it did show up in that first reader (unless I read the specs wrong).

Regardless, the devices seem pretty replaceable. Affixing a skimmer to the inside of the device seems pretty feasible - you just need to tap in before the data is encrypted.

There might be some sort of tamper switch on these as well, though. I just now remembered helping with compliance for one company that had mobile card readers - every time they got dropped or ran out of battery they would have to be sent back to the manufacturer to have the keys reprogrammed. Opening the device might wipe the key (again, depending on the model). There definitely are some card readers available without a tamper switch.

Since it's not illegal or suspicious to own one of these devices, there is absolutely no reason for the government to visit you. Here is a cheap reader from Square that's only $50. They must be keeping the feds very busy. Here is VeriFone selling direct on Amazon.

There is no reason for "protective measures" since there is nothing to protect. The specifications for these devices are public knowledge. The salesperson at your supplier is blowing smoke to try and impress you. He's probably demanding you provide a business purpose so he can sell you more things.

http://emv-global-solution.com/product/productemv-readerwriter-v8-6/


https://m.alibaba.com/showroom/emv-chip-reader-writer-software.html


And this is the one you are prolly looking for
https://www.amazon.com/MCR200-Magnetic-Stripe-Reader-Writer/dp/B00P7GLF9C

http://m.ebay.com/itm/201514204636

https://www.amazon.com/Deftun-MSR606-Magnetic-Stripe-Encoder/dp/B006RE896K

This one does chips too

https://www.amazon.com/MCR200-Magnetic-Stripe-Reader-Writer/dp/B00P7GLF9C

There are legit reasons to own these and bogus ways to use them.

The difference is that if your info is stolen from a retailer they cannot use the info to make a chip card. They need to physically have the chip card to clone it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seven-OceanS%C2%AE-Emergency-food-rations/dp/B005ARF3PA

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I've had these before, they are pretty good.

Not so much . . .maybe the people that make the door locks use something special and charge more for them.

https://www.amazon.com/MSR90-Magnetic-Credit-Reader-Deftun/dp/B01DUB4GVO/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_147_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Does anyone clone their VGC to a regular looking debit card (using something like this) to reduce hassle when buying MO?