EnvisionWare provides hardware components to complement the powerful software applications designed by EnvisionWare for libraries. A Track 2 reader or swipe reader is used by libraries and campuses for credit card reading in conjunction with EnvisionWare eCommerce Services™. Credit cards can be processed by user entry on a keyboard (on-screen or PC keyboard) or by swiping the card with a Track 2 reader. A Track 2 reader is built into the OneStop Full-Service Kiosk. It is also built into the POS keyboard supplied in the Staff Transaction Station (STS) Accessory Package. If you want a reader for stand-alone use, at an All-In-One, Launch Command Kiosk, or other library computer hosting the EnvisionWare Fines Pay Client (a component of eCommerce Services), then the EnvisionWare Track 2 reader is the perfect choice.
The EnvisionWare system is a wedge-style reader which means that data is fed to the keyboard using traditional wedge technology. The reader acts as another device that inputs data by impersonating the keyboard. The swipe reader connects to the USB port of your PC.
Model 800-6601-xxx Magnetic Card Swipe for BlackBoard and Credit Card - USB Reader
USB Powered - no external power required.
Compatible with any PC/Terminal with USB connection
Reader - Cable - Keyboard Emulation
Guaranteed for 1,000,000 passes with ISO standard cards
What is Track 2?
Track 2 is the physical position of the magnetic stripe on the back of a card. Commercial credit cards such as MasterCard, Visa, and others, conform to the Track 2 standard. Your credit card number is written onto the magnetic stripe of a credit card. The Track 2 device reads the numbers encoded on a credit card as the card is moved or swiped through the reader. The swipe reader makes it easy to enter the credit card number instead of typing on a keyboard. The data on a magnetic stripe is not encoded just as the visible number is not encoded.
Credit cards differ from stored value (copy card) systems in that stored value cards encrypt the data so that it can only be read by the special reader designed for that card. Because stored value systems read encrypted data including account balances, site codes (the unique identifier for your library or institution), and perhaps other information, and because data is WRITTEN repeatedly to the card and not simply read like credit card applications, motorized readers must be used for those applications. Generally speaking, when using a swipe reader, the purpose is generally for reading an identification number. The dominant use of this simple technology is the credit card industry.
