# Potential Harm From Magnetic/Copper Bracelets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-harm-from-magnetic-copper-bracelets/497512 "2009-05-25T00:24:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-harm-from-magnetic-copper-bracelets/497512/21 "2009-05-26T07:06:53Z")
> [@wonderlust](#): > > Oh well, turns out the damn thing gives me a rash anyway! :smack: That’s just the demons being driven out of your system. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-harm-from-magnetic-copper-bracelets/497512/22 "2009-05-27T03:21:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Most of the magnets you’re likely to encounter in your day-today travels will be insufficiently strong to damage high-coercivity bank cards. Youre just wrong. Ive destoyed so many cards with just a simple fridge magnet so many times its not even funny. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-harm-from-magnetic-copper-bracelets/497512/23 "2009-05-27T03:28:33Z")
Maybe you should stop waving refrigerator magnets over your cards? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-harm-from-magnetic-copper-bracelets/497512/24 "2009-05-27T03:29:37Z")
[Possibly, but unlikely](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_stripe#Magnetic_stripe_coercivity): > [@](#): > > In practical terms, usually low coercivity magnetic stripes are a light brown color, and high coercivity stripes are nearly black; exceptions include a proprietary silver-colored formulation on transparent American Express cards.\*\* High coercivity stripes are resistant to damage from most magnets likely to be owned by consumers.\*\* Low coercivity stripes are easily damaged by even a brief contact with a magnetic purse strap or fastener. **Because of this, virtually all bank cards today are encoded on high coercivity stripes despite a slightly higher per-unit cost.** ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-harm-from-magnetic-copper-bracelets/497512/25 "2009-05-27T03:30:12Z")
> [@wonderlust](#): > > Maybe you should stop waving refrigerator magnets over your cards? 😉 Well how the heck am I supposed to stick my credit cards to the fridge then, huh? ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-harm-from-magnetic-copper-bracelets/497512/26 "2009-05-27T03:35:37Z")
> [@HorseloverFat](#): > > Youre just wrong. Ive destoyed so many cards with just a simple fridge magnet so many times its not even funny. It is kind of funny, actually. You’d think after once or twice you’d stop doing it! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-harm-from-magnetic-copper-bracelets/497512.md?page=1)