I have no idea if this is even legal (don't really care)

I am having a problem with my bank cards. They keep dying. I don't know if they are just making them cheaper or if our increasing gadget centric world (I love gadgets) is killing them.

the mags strips get degaussed or whatever you call it and the car no longer works.

now historically this was never really a problem because #1 it rarely happens and #2 when it does you just order a new card.

but for this to not be a problem was predicated on the fact that the CARD STILL WORKED. they just had to enter it manually.

I have encountered a new problem. almost every store I went to WOULD NOT or COULD NOT or flat our REFUSE TO enter the card manually.

It was successful swipe or NO SALE.

This creates a problem since now you have ZERO access except to goto a teller to your funds until they mail you a new card.

sure some will give you a temp card on the spot but this requires you to KILL your current card number and get issued a new one which is a royal pita since now I have to go online and changed sometimes DOZENS AND DOZENS of sites to use the new account numbers.

royal pain in the butt.

SO I figured ok easy solution. If i don't mind waiting they will issue a replacement with the same number.

ALAS this requires that they issue me TWO cards. SO when one dies I can call up and order a replacement and then switch to my backup card.

They flat out said NO WAY. they adamantly utterly and completely REFUSE to let me have two cards (NO clue as to why and its really making me mad)

SO I want to make my own second card or at least be able to REPAIR my card myself.

I figure THEY encode them so there must be a way to flat out COPY the data on the magnetic strip. IE copy the data from the strip to my computer and whenever it gets WIPED for whatever reason "re-encode" it back onto the strip.

is that even possible? are these things rewritable? or one time?

in the past this was a rare problem. but lately 3 or 4 times a year I have to order a replacement because it just stops working.

Is there a better way I can STORE the card itself to protect it? would a lead sleeve have any effect?

I even resorted to NOT CARRYING it in my pocket except when needed. (I don't use a wallet) I leave it in the car. Could the heat be effecting it? I do notice it happens more in the hot months than cold months but figured that was just because I use it more in the hot months.

while at home this is an annoyance I TRAVEL a lot. Example I went to colorado this summer (live in PA) had this happened in colorado I would have been in DEEP CRAP with zero access to my money to pay for the trip since there are no branches for my bank out their and without a second card no way to backup OR have someone at home put the money in another account for me.

Suggestions? why won't they issue 2 cards? any idea why they are losing their data so often lately? anyone else having this kind of trouble?

I am not sure how a "backup" will help with any legitimate uses.  You can hardly show up at Target with an all-white credit card, with "Wachovia" written in sharpie on it.  Although, I would love to see the face of a cashier when it actually works.