Abstract: A ticket verification and reading device has a single reading and writing head (20). If a card to be read is inserted incorrectly into the entry (11), rollers (23) and (13) rotate so as to return the ticket, inverting it as it passes round roller (13). The correctly oriented ticket is then returned to the roller (13) from when it passes the reading and writing head (20) to be read.Accordingly the device will accept incorrectly inserted cards, automatically re-orientating them so that even though the device has only one reading head (20) the cards can be read and, if necessary, verified.