Is it possible for PR card demagnetized?

[TADF chemist]

Today I have my debit card not working suddenly and I suspect due to demagnetization, which can be due to wide range of circumstances.

I wonder if PR card can be made ineffective due to demagnetization?

For many of you as PR, do border officers just look at your PR card or do they scan it in a machine (to make sure it is genuine)

For my recent entry in Canada, the officer just looked at my card and told me to go baggage collection point (i.e. pass)

 

[armoured]

Today I have my debit card not working suddenly and I suspect due to demagnetization, which can be due to wide range of circumstances.

I wonder if PR card can be made ineffective due to demagnetization?

For many of you as PR, do border officers just look at your PR card or do they scan it in a machine (to make sure it is genuine)

For my recent entry in Canada, the officer just looked at my card and told me to go baggage collection point (i.e. pass)

There's no 'magnetic' stripe, there is an RFID (radio frequency identification) chip, there can be interference and damage but it's less susceptible to that than the old stripes on debit cards. They can read the text optically (scan) and also 'ping' the card to get a unique identifier from the RIFD, not clear how often they actually do this. Honestly quite a lot of the time it's just visual identification.

If you go through the electronic card kiosks it likely does one or both of these procedures.

 

[TADF chemist]

There's no 'magnetic' stripe, there is an RFID (radio frequency identification) chip, there can be interference and damage but it's less susceptible to that than the old stripes on debit cards. They can read the text optically (scan) and also 'ping' the card to get a unique identifier from the RIFD, not clear how often they actually do this. Honestly quite a lot of the time it's just visual identification.

If you go through the electronic card kiosks it likely does one or both of these procedures.

Many thanks. Indeed, this was my first time to enter Canada with a PR card last week and I remember for electronic card kiosks, the card was "scanned" instead of contactless like debit card. Good to hear the PR card is unlikely affected by magnet.

 

[armoured]

Many thanks. Indeed, this was my first time to enter Canada with a PR card last week and I remember for electronic card kiosks, the card was "scanned" instead of contactless like debit card. Good to hear the PR card is unlikely affected by magnet.

I mean, I presume a powerful enough magnet might screw up the chip, but only a guess - but I think it would be very powerful indeed to do so.

I think the PR cards can be scanned from some distance but don't know the technical details. In practice I don't know if they use that feature, or possiubly only use it to check that it's a 'real' card.

 

[Ponga]

I mean, I presume a powerful enough magnet might screw up the chip, but only a guess - but I think it would be very powerful indeed to do so.

I think the PR cards can be scanned from some distance but don't know the technical details. In practice I don't know if they use that feature, or possiubly only use it to check that it's a 'real' card.

PR Cards are scanned at a land PoE and are likley already on the CBSA officer's screen when the PR approaches the booth.

https://brainstation.io/magazine/canadian-border-agency-can-now-scan-personal-information-in-advance
When entering or exiting the country, there will be special RFID lanes equipped with a reader to capture tag numbers in certain travel documents. Those could include electronic Canadian Permanent Resident cards; Enhanced Driver’s Licenses from B.C., Manitoba and Ontario; Enhanced Identification Cars from B.C. and Manitoba; and NEXUS/FAST cards.


If travellers are carrying these RFID-enabled documents, the reader will be able to pick up and recognize the tag as a vehicle approaches a border services booth. The RFID tag number will retrieve traveller information from secure databases, assess for risk and then display the information on the border services officer’s screen. This will save the officer a lot of time usually spent manually inputting the information into the system.

 

[TADF chemist]

I mean, I presume a powerful enough magnet might screw up the chip, but only a guess - but I think it would be very powerful indeed to do so.

I think the PR cards can be scanned from some distance but don't know the technical details. In practice I don't know if they use that feature, or possiubly only use it to check that it's a 'real' card.

But have you heard of any cases that the PR card is demagnetized and causes issue when entering Canada?

 

[armoured]

But have you heard of any cases that the PR card is demagnetized and causes issue when entering Canada?

No, I have not.

 

[Ponga]

But have you heard of any cases that the PR card is demagnetized and causes issue when entering Canada?

Even if the card was not readable by the scanner, the human CBSA officer that you would ultimately encounter would figure it out.

 

[TADF chemist]

Even if the card was not readable by the scanner, the human CBSA officer that you would ultimately encounter would figure it out.

i have a quick google on this topic and my basic understanding:

1. Magnetic strip: a black line on the back side of cards; older technology; can be malfunction if affected by magnet

2. EMV chip: The "golden" little square on credit/debit card; more advanced technology; normally not affected by magnetic field; the chip stores user information for transaction, and is independent from magnetic stripe

3. RFID: invisible; used in our PR card; also not affected by magnetic field; but can be damaged by microwave

 

[scylla]

But have you heard of any cases that the PR card is demagnetized and causes issue when entering Canada?

You are massively over-thinking this.

CBSA can see you are a PR in their computer systems. Even if something got messed up with your card, this wouldn't stop you from being able to enter Canada. Entry is not based on your physical card.

 

[TADF chemist]

You are massively over-thinking this.

CBSA can see you are a PR in their computer systems. Even if something got messed up with your card, this wouldn't stop you from being able to enter Canada. Entry is not based on your physical card.

True, "over-thinking" is my habit

 

[scylla]

True, "over-thinking" is my habit

Now all you have to do is find someone who is willing to microwave their PR card as an experiment to see what happens.

 

[Ponga]

Now all you have to do is find someone who is willing to microwave their PR card as an experiment to see what happens.

I might be interested, depending on what the pay is. LOL!