Multifunctional magnetic stripe cards, typically come in two kinds: HiCo and LoCo. Both cards can carry the same amount of data, with the key difference being usage applications. The primary difference between Hico and LoCo cards has to do with how difficult it is to code and delete information for the two different types of magnetic stripes.

High Coercivity Magnetic Stripe Plastic Card (Hico - High Coercivity):
High coercivity or “Hico” cards are recommended for most applications. HICO magnetic stripe cards are typically black in color and are coded with a stronger magnetic field (2750 Ørsted / Oersted).
The stronger magnetic field makes HICO cards more durable because data encoded on the stripes are less likely to be accidentally erased when exposed to an external magnetic field.
So it was more used for credit cards, library cards, employee ID cards, and access cards, which need to be swiped regularly. The stripes on HiCo cards require higher magnetic energy to encode, making them less susceptible to magnetic interference from extraneous sources.

Low Coercivity Magnetic stripe plastic card (Loco - Low Coercivity):
Low coercivity or “Loco” cards are good for short-term applications. LOCO magnetic stripe cards are generally brown in color and are coded by a low-intensity magnetic field (300 Ørsted / Oersted).
The more affordable LoCo magnetic stripe cards, which require a lower amount of magnetic energy to encode, are better suited for limited, temporary use cases such as theme park passes, hotel room cards, and transit cards.

It is also possible to identify the type of card used by simply looking at the magnetic stripe on the card. High-performance HiCo cards have magnetic stripes that are almost always black in color. LoCo cards, on the other hand, have brownish magnetic stripes.
When choosing a plastic card with a magnetic stripe, ask yourself how long you have your cards to last. Contact us to get more information from us.