The IBM 1402 was a high-speed card reader/punch introduced on October 5, 1959 as a peripheral input/output device for the IBM 1401 computer.

A column binary option allowed cards with any combination of holes to be read and punched.

Both the reader and punch mechanisms count the number of holes in each column at a separate station.

An error is indicated and the mechanism stops (if the I/O check stop switch is on) if the number of holes counted at the read station differs from the number of holes counted at the first, check station (for reading) or punched at the first station (for punching).

In addition, when not operating in column-binary mode, the reader indicates an error and stops (if the I/O check stop switch is on) if the punch combination in any column does not indicate a valid character.