The MiniMag is a fully intelligent swipe reader that reads and validates the track information. With the use of the MagSwipe Windows based Configuration Utility, the output format can be customized. This allows MagStripe data output to match the data input needs of an application. The MiniMag can be configured to parse data, insert control characters, and add prefix and suffix characters. MagStripe data integrity is always maintained. The keyboard versions have language options for further convenience to reader applications.