PURPOSE: To discriminate whether a card can be used for transaction or not without actually reading out information recorded and stored in the card by providing a magnetic detecting means which detects the presence or the absence of the magnetic stripe provided on a magnetic stripe card and a contact detecting means which detects the presence or the absence of input/output contacts provided on an IC card.

CONSTITUTION: Magnetic detecting means 11 and 12 to detect the presence or the absence of the magnetic stripe and a contact detecting means 50 to detect the presence or the absence of input/output contacts are provided. A card 3 is discriminated as a magnetic card or an IC card based on detection signals outputted from magnetic detecting means 11 and 12 and the contact detecting means 50. Thus, the card is discriminated as a magnetic card or an IC card without reading information stored in the IC card, and it is quickly discriminated whether the card can be used for transaction processing or not.