A magnetic stripe reader, also called a magstripe reader, or MSR for short, is a hardware device that reads the information encoded in the magnetic stripe located on the back of a plastic cards such as credit cards or loyalty cards. Magnetic stripe readers can be read by a computer program through a serial port , USB connection, or keyboard wedge , and are generally categorized by the way they read a card. For instance, chip and pin readers require that the card is put into the reader for an unspecified amount of and then pulled out. Swipe readers require that the card pass completely through the reader. If you cannot find what you're looking for, please contact us and we'll be glad to assist you.