Track 2 is the numeric-only magnetic-stripe data format defined in ISO/IEC 7813, with a maximum length of 40 characters.
Its structure is:
SS PAN FS ED SC DD ES LRC
Where:
- SS — Start sentinel
; - PAN — Primary Account Number (up to 19 digits)
- FS — Field separator
= - ED — Expiry date (YYMM)
- SC — Service code (3 digits)
- DD — Issuer discretionary data (PVKI, PVV, CVV, iCVV, or other issuer-defined values)
- ES — End sentinel
? - LRC — Longitudinal redundancy check (optional in some implementations)
Real-world example:
4761739001010119=25122011143804400000
Track 2 in a POS Transaction
When a magstripe is successfully read, the terminal sends Track 2 (or its equivalent data) in the authorization request:
“track2”: “4761739001010119=25122011143804400000”
Track 2 is historically used for:
- Identifying the card (PAN + expiry)
- Routing via BIN tables
- Issuer card verification (CVV/PVV/iCVV)
- Supporting legacy magstripe transactions
The Decline of Magstripe – 2025 Reality
Magnetic stripe is now almost exclusively a fallback mechanism when chip (EMV) fails or is unavailable.
Key facts as of 2025:
| Network | Magstripe as Primary | Magstripe Fallback Accepted? | Liability Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | No longer supported as primary in most regions | Only in extremely limited cases (e.g., damaged chip + merchant forced fallback) – increasingly rejected | Liability on merchant since 2015–2021 depending on region |
| Mastercard | Phasing out requirement | Still accepted as fallback in many markets until 2031–2033 (depending on country) | Liability shift completed in most regions |
| Amex / Discover / UPI | Similar trajectory – magstripe being eliminated | Fallback rarely accepted | Varies |
→ In Europe, Australia, Canada, and most of Latin America and Asia-Pacific, pure magstripe transactions have been virtually extinct since 2018–2022.
→ In the United States, magstripe fallback is still relatively common due to slower EMV adoption, but even there it’s declining rapidly.
When fallback occurs, the transaction is flagged with specific indicators:
- POS Entry Mode =
90or91(magstripe read, track data reliable)
or02/80(fallback from chip to magstripe)
These fallback transactions usually trigger:
- Higher interchange fees
- Stricter velocity checks
- Increased fraud monitoring
- Potential decline by issuer
PIN Handling (Unchanged)
Track 2 contains only card data — never the PIN.
The PIN is captured separately and sent encrypted as a PIN block, e.g.:
“pin_block”: “1BE6AC1EE960FB890000000000000000”, “pin_ksn”: “FFFF9876543210E0000A”
Both fields remain independent in modern payment flows.
Bottom Line in 2025
- If you’re building a new POS or SoftPOS: always prefer EMV contact/contactless first
- Support magstripe only as a true fallback
- Be prepared for Visa to decline most magstripe-originated transactions in many countries
- Mastercard still allows fallback in more regions — but for how long?
Magstripe isn’t dead yet… but it’s on life support, and the plug will be pulled region-by-region over the next 5–8 years.
