Scope: This Solution applies to SecureMag and SecureHead encrypting readers. It also applies to all encrypting readers... although the specific commands and command structure may vary. Please refer to each product's documentation for specific instructions on how to set force encryption for non-financial cards.

For gift cards, encryption or not depends on the card format. If the card is in the financial format, the data will be encrypted.  If it’s not in a financial format, the reader won’t encrypt the data since the force encryption for the non-financial format is not enabled by default. (53 84 01 08)

If you find the reader is encrypting the gift card data, there are only two possible reasons:

1)      The card data is in financial card format

In this case, the 4^th byte of the encrypted data output will be “00” if the reader is in the Original encryption format or “80” if in Enhanced Encryption format. Customer can check the 4^th byte of the output to see what they get. 

Else, the 4^th byte will be “03” or “83” if the card is in “Other” format (non-financial format)

2)      The force encryption setting is enabled.

This can be verified by sending the "52 84" command via our SecureMag USB Demo and checking the response 84 01 xx.  If the last 3 bits of the setting byte"xx" are “1”, the force encryption is being turned on for all 3 tracks.

Please check out page 41 (Section 10.5 for the definition of force encryption setting byte) of the SecureMag user manual 

See also: