Abstract: A card reader stores the energy imparted by a user inserting a card into a slot. When the card is fully inserted, a release mechanism is triggered and the stored energy moves a read head over a coded stripe. In the preferred embodiment, a torsion spring mounted on a carriage winds about an axle. The axle has a gear at one end which engages a rack fixed on the base of the reader. The gear and axle rotate as the carriage is moved relative to the reader, thereby winding the torsion spring and storing energy. A set of ratchet teeth mounted on the base prevents the return of the carriage before the card is fully inserted into the slot. The reader can also accommodate reading and writing to smart cards.