A card transporting mechanism for a card reader in which the trailing end of a card (1) as viewed in a card transporting direction is brought into contact with a first card engaging/holding member (2) moving in a card transporting direction, and the card (1) is transported by said first card engaging/holding member (2), said card transporting mechanism including a carriage (3) movable in the card transporting direction, said first card engaging/holding member (2) being mounted on such that said first card engaging/holding member (2) is movable between a first position where said first card engaging/holding member (2) comes in contact with the trailing end of said card (1) and a second position where said first card engaging/holding (2) member does not comes in contact with said card (1), and a transportation drive member, for transporting the card, coupled to said first card engaging/holding member (2) such that a position of said first card engaging/holding member (2) changes in accordance with a moving direction of said transportation drive member, and when said card (1) travels in a first direction, said first card engaging/holding member (2) is located, by said transportation drive member, at a position where said first card engaging/holding member (2) comes in contact with the trailing end face of said card (1), and said card (1) is transported by moving said carriage (3).