A card reader , comprising: a receiving arrangement configured to sequentially receive cards from an upstream process and position the cards to be read; a first reader (220-1) configured to read card information from cards a first time; a second reader (220-2) configured to read card information from cards a second time, wherein the second reader (220-2) is positioned such that the information is read by the second reader (220-2) after the information is read by the first reader (220-1); an advancing mechanism configured to advance cards from the receiving arrangement , through the first and second readers (220-1, 220-2), to a downstream process; and a processor programmed to: receive card carrier information for a pair of card carriers, wherein the card carrier information identifies at least one card relating to a particular card carrier; receive the card information from the first reader (220-1); receive the card information from the second reader (220-2); compare the card information as read by the first reader (220-1) to the card information as read by the second reader (220-2) and reject the card if the card information is inconsistent; compare the card information as read by either the first or second reader (220-1, 220-2) to the card carrier information; reject the card if the card information does not match the card carrier information; and send the card to a card mounting apparatus if the card relates to one of the pair of card carriers. a receiving arrangement configured to sequentially receive cards from an upstream process and position the cards to be read; a first reader (220-1) configured to read card information from cards a first time; a second reader (220-2) configured to read card information from cards a second time, wherein the second reader (220-2) is positioned such that the information is read by the second reader (220-2) after the information is read by the first reader (220-1); an advancing mechanism configured to advance cards from the receiving arrangement , through the first and second readers (220-1, 220-2), to a downstream process; and a processor programmed to: receive card carrier information for a pair of card carriers, wherein the card carrier information identifies at least one card relating to a particular card carrier; receive the card information from the first reader (220-1); receive the card information from the second reader (220-2); compare the card information as read by the first reader (220-1) to the card information as read by the second reader (220-2) and reject the card if the card information is inconsistent; compare the card information as read by either the first or second reader (220-1, 220-2) to the card carrier information; reject the card if the card information does not match the card carrier information; and send the card to a card mounting apparatus if the card relates to one of the pair of card carriers. receive card carrier information for a pair of card carriers, wherein the card carrier information identifies at least one card relating to a particular card carrier; receive the card information from the first reader (220-1); receive the card information from the second reader (220-2); compare the card information as read by the first reader (220-1) to the card information as read by the second reader (220-2) and reject the card if the card information is inconsistent; compare the card information as read by either the first or second reader (220-1, 220-2) to the card carrier information; reject the card if the card information does not match the card carrier information; and send the card to a card mounting apparatus if the card relates to one of the pair of card carriers. <EOS>