Half the problem is the barrier design, not the card ...
In Hong Kong (Octopus card - the original one) and Tokyo (Speica) the barriers are rotating bars, so only one person can pass at any time and the system stacks up successful pass requests. The tube ones are large, heavy paddles that and ignore cards swiped too soon after the last ones, net result being, try to go through too quickly, you get the paddles slamming hard in to you, get blocked in by the person behind, and during rush hour create chaos. Happens all too often. Pile of crap design really (the barrier)