You really can\u2019t go wrong with giving a gift card as a gift. It\u2019s a way to say thank you or congratulations that allows someone to use the gift in their own way. It also encourages repeat business and loyalty to a company. With so many options, choosing a gift card is overwhelming, so in this article, we\u2019ll discuss how to choose between barcode or magnetic stripe gift cards. Both are useful and work well but have a few differences.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look at barcodes first, including how they work, equipment needed to use them, ease of use, whether or not they\u2019re secure, and how durable they are.<\/p>\n
Data is encoded by interpreting the data into the visual barcode, using varied width lines and spaces.<\/p>\n
A handheld or built-in scanner reads the barcode, importing it into the company\u2019s POS (point of sale).<\/p>\n
Customers tend to prefer barcodes because they are so easy to use. They swipe easily and don\u2019t require assistance the way magnetic stripes sometimes do.<\/p>\n
When it comes to security, barcodes, unfortunately, are easy to reproduce. For most of us, we wouldn\u2019t realize it, but barcode interpreting programs are easy to come by, and barcodes are easily copied, making them a bit less secure if not treated carefully.<\/p>\n
Barcodes are exposed, and that means scratches easily happen, making the barcode difficult to read.<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s take the same look at magnetic stripe gift cards:<\/p>\n
Magnetic stripe gift cards store data magnetically within the stripe of the card.<\/p>\n
A magnetic stripe reader imports the data into the company\u2019s POS (point of sale). We see these readers at stores when using credit cards.<\/p>\n
Magnetic stripes often require personnel to do the swiping, making them a bit less friendly for customers.<\/p>\n
The security with magnetic stripes is excellent since the stripe hides the encoding. The encoding can\u2019t be seen, making it tougher to copy.<\/p>\n
Magnetic stripes are susceptible to being erased when near another magnet. This destroys all of the data. Thankfully, it\u2019s a rare occurrence. Magnetic stripes are tough to destroy. Even when scratched, they are often still readable.<\/p>\n