Hokie Passport authentication is controlled by a CBORD CS Gold system, and can be used for dining, printing, laundry, vending, and building access, among other things.Data on the magnetic strip is of the format

Tracks 1 and 3 of the magnetic strip are unused. Track 2 contains two fields, separated by "=". The first field contains the 9-digit, BCD-encoded student ID number. The second field is 4 BCD digits and may store student/faculty/staff status and stores a serial number. For almost all sampled student cards, the second field has contained "0249lost card", while others contained "1249" or "2249". Since Hokie Passport Services is able number used to deactivate lost or stolen cards, this likely acts as a counter to permit separate policies and the school code; the school code for multiple cardsVirginia Tech is 249. The thin stripe near the middle was formerly used by the copiers on the fourth floor of [[Newman Library]], but newer copiers use Hokie Passport funds.