Systems and methods for communicating with a magnetic reader head

A computer-implemented method of transmitting transaction card data from a portable computing device to a merchant POS device, wherein the portable computer device includes a memory device, a processor, and a transmitter, said method comprising:

• receiving transaction card data that mimics magnetic stripe data associated with a transaction card;
• converting the transaction card data to a first data file for storage within the memory device, the conversion being performed by the processor;
• communicating the first data file to the transmitter;
• and
• using the transmitter to transmit a first waveform to the POS device, wherein the first waveform comprises changes in a magnetic field that represent the transaction card data.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for causing the transmission of transaction card data from a portable computing device to a merchant POS device, wherein the portable computing device includes a memory device, a processor, and a transmitter, wherein when executed by the processor, the computer executable instructions cause the processor to:

• receive transaction card data that mimics data stored within a magnetic stripe associated with a transaction card;
• convert the transaction card data to a first data file for storage within the memory device;
• transmit the first data file to the transmitter;
• and
• transmit a first waveform from the transmitter to the POS device, wherein the first waveform comprises changes in a magnetic field that represent the transaction card data.