A low-profile card reader, including: a carriage; a single support arm including a first end statically mounted to the carriage, a second end, free from the carriage, a body tapering from the second end toward the first end, wherein the body is free from the carriage, such that the support arm freely deflects along a support arm length relative to the carriage, and a set of strengthening channels extending along the support arm length; and a magnetic reading head statically connected to the second end of the support arm.