HiCo vs LoCo Magnetic Stripe — What's the Difference?
There are two grades of magnetic stripe used on plastic cards — HiCo and LoCo. They look similar, they work in the same readers, but they behave very differently in real-world use. Specify the wrong one and you will end up with cards that demagnetise in your customers' wallets.
Here is exactly what the difference is and which one you need.
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The core difference
HiCo (High Coercivity) and LoCo (Low Coercivity) refer to the magnetic strength of the particles in the stripe. Coercivity is measured in Oersteds (Oe) — the higher the number, the stronger the magnetic field needed to encode and erase data.
A higher coercivity means the stripe is harder to accidentally wipe. A lower coercivity means it is easier and cheaper to encode, but more vulnerable to everyday magnetic fields.
| HiCo (High Coercivity) | LoCo (Low Coercivity) | |
|---|---|---|
| Coercivity | Typically 2750 Oe or 4000 Oe | Typically 300 Oe |
| Resistance to demagnetisation | Much more resistant to everyday magnetic fields | Can be wiped by relatively weak fields – a phone case magnet can do it |
| Lifespan | Longer – suited to cards used repeatedly over months or years | Short – suited to temporary, single-use or short-term applications |
| Typical use | Loyalty cards, ID cards, access control, membership cards | Hotel room key cards, discarded after the stay |
| Stripe appearance | Typically dark brown or black | Typically lighter brown or reddish-brown |
| Encoding cost | Higher – requires a stronger encoder | Lower – easier and cheaper to encode |
| Encoder needed | HiCo encoder | Either – a HiCo encoder can encode both; a LoCo encoder cannot reliably encode HiCo |
| Readers | All standard magnetic stripe readers | All standard magnetic stripe readers |
HiCo — High Coercivity
Coercivity: typically 2750 Oe or 4000 Oe. Requires a stronger encoder but resists accidental demagnetisation much better.
- Much more resistant to demagnetisation from everyday magnetic fields
- Longer lifespan — suited to cards used repeatedly over months or years
- Standard choice for loyalty cards, ID cards, access control, and membership cards
- Visually: the stripe is typically dark brown or black
LoCo — Low Coercivity
Coercivity: typically 300 Oe. Easier and cheaper to encode, but more vulnerable to demagnetisation.
- Can be wiped by relatively weak magnetic fields — a phone case magnet can do it
- Short lifespan — suited to temporary, single-use, or short-term applications
- Standard choice for hotel room key cards, which are discarded after the stay
- Lower encoding cost
- Visually: the stripe is typically lighter brown or reddish-brown
Which one do you need?
Hotel key cards: LoCo. They are discarded after a short stay, so durability is irrelevant. The encoding cost saving adds up at scale.
Loyalty cards, membership cards, gift cards, ID cards: HiCo. These cards are used repeatedly and need to survive a wallet, a bag, and proximity to various magnets for months or years.
If in doubt: specify HiCo. The cost difference is minimal and the reliability gain is real.
Can your reader cope?
HiCo cards can be read by all standard magnetic stripe readers. LoCo cards can also be read by all standard readers. The read head does not care about coercivity — it just reads the magnetic pattern. Coercivity only matters for encoding and resistance to demagnetisation.
Your encoder does matter. A LoCo encoder cannot reliably encode HiCo cards. A HiCo encoder can encode both. If you are encoding cards yourself, check what your encoder supports before you order your cards.
Ready to order?
We supply magnetic stripe cards in both HiCo and LoCo, printed in England with free UK delivery. If you know what you need, get a quote and we will turn around a proof quickly. Not sure which grade suits your application? Get in touch and we will point you in the right direction.
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