What mechanism is embedded within, for instance, tram cards that you can use to check in and out of your train ride, that prevents you from copying the signal that is coming from that card ? I could maybe understand this for cards that have an account linked to them (e.g. bank cards or other personalised cards), but what about cards you just [top up](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stored-value_card?wprov=sfti1) (e.g. [train cards in the Netherlands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OV-chipkaart?wprov=sfti1)). Why couldn’t you just copy every signal that is coming out of that card and clone it to a different one making a receiving device think you have a topped up card?
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You need to have the correct combination to send an energy pulse to the magnet inside the individual card that carries has an identity like it’s own fingerprint which then is stored within whatever device is sending the specific information gained to a “storage center” of sorts. Some devices are more easily updated to create different caches of data remotely and some need hands on manipulation (like changing values on a piece of equipment/card think, hard/software) every piece of electronic gadgetry follows that basic process and the only difference is the actual number of pieces with individual hard/software and memory.
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