PURPOSE: To shorten card processing time by providing a means to decide in a moment whether the reading direction of a card sucked in from an insertion port is correct or not at the vicinity of the insertion port into which the card is to be inserted.

CONSTITUTION: When the card 303 is inserted from the insertion port 103 of a card reader/writer 104, an identification sensor 101 identifies an identification mark 301 and the reading direction 302 attached to the card 303 beforehand, and when the reading direction of the card is correct, the card 303 is sucked in as it is, and a usual state is started. If the reading direction is not correct, the card is not sucked in, and the operation of a purport that an insertion direction is wrong is performed. Thus, since it is decided whether the direction of the card is correct or not in a moment simultaneously with the insertion of the card, the processing time of the card can be shortened.