MetroCards are issued in
NYC Metrocard Vending Machines and are used to access the
NYC intermodal transportation system. The cards are refillable and reusable. They can also be used as mini-
debit cards for
vending machines, phones, or any other use that a secondary company wishes to
license from the
NYC Transport Authority.
When MetroCards are inserted into machinery, they are placed in a Ticket Transport system. The Ticket Transport contains the electromechanical components required to perform the magnetic read, write and verify functions to create a valid ticket. The transports also contain sensors for proper ticket alignment and ticket location in the transport.
NYC MetroCard Specifications
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There is a small hole towards the top of the MetroCard
that is used for alignment purposes. Since this hole is
off-centered, it is easy to detect if the MetroCard is
inserted upside-down or backwards. The small missing
corner on the bottom of the MetroCard is used for two
purposes. The first is for vision-impaired folks to be
able to quickly find the proper alignment for insertion
into fare collection equipment, the second is it makes
it easy to find mis-aligned cards in a stack.
The rewriteable data track is used for updating the current
value, which piece of equipment the ticket was last used
on, which station it was used in, the date and time. The
read-only track holds encrypted data, including the serial
number of the individual MetroCard.
Coercivity Hi-C, 2,750 Ooersteds
Data Density 100 bits per inch
Length 3.375 inches
Width 2.125 inches
Thickness 0.010 inches
Material Stock Polyester