Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Cards Safe
When protecting your information is a priority, you need to know about RFID-blocking technology. If you use a credit or debit card that can make contactless payments, that card is embedded with an RFID chip. RFID stands for radio frequency identification. RFID chips are embedded in passports, used by our phones, and contained in credit and debit cards for the purpose of quickly scanning and verifying information without the need to swipe or slide your card.
From this article, you’ll learn how to protect your RFID-equipped cards using a wallet with RFID protection. In addition, you’ll learn how to pick the best RFID-blocking wallet for you and gain an understanding of how RFID protection works.
Why RFID Protection is Essential for Your Wallet
RFID chips make life easier and more convenient. They save time and energy and speed up the transactions you make throughout the day. However, when you carry cards that can complete contactless payments with you unprotected, you’re potentially putting yourself at greater risk for identity theft.
Because RFID chips can be scanned from a distance, identity thieves called skimmers can access your card information without you noticing. When you’re out in the world, going about your day, it’s essential to protect your information by using an RFID-protected wallet. Carrying your RFID-equipped cards in a wallet with RFID protection ensures that you can have peace of mind when working, traveling, and making everyday transactions.
How RFID Blocking Works
When you put your RFID-equipped cards in an RFID-blocking wallet, you’re enclosing them in what is known as a Faraday cage. The Faraday cage is named after Michael Faraday, who was the first to use a metal cage to block out electromagnetic fields. Use of a Faraday cage blocks the devices skimmers use to access your card information from working.
The technology used in RFID-blocking wallets won’t hinder your contactless card from working or damage it. However, it will block out unwelcome attempts at scanning the RFID chip on your card and copying its information. It may seem unlikely that you’d be targeted by a skimmer, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Aluminum Wallets vs. Leather Wallets: Is there a Best Option?
Aluminum wallets and leather wallets are both often found in the everyday carry setups of modern men. The primary differences between aluminum and leather wallets are often aesthetic in nature rather than functional. Leather wallets have a more classic, timeless look, whereas aluminum wallets tend to look more modern and even futuristic.
You can find high-quality wallets made out of both leather and aluminum, as well as a combination of the two. While leather wallets may be the more traditional option, they might not fit your personal aesthetic preferences. A wallet’s form is just as crucial as its function, and if you prefer aluminum as your wallet material of choice, you’re not making the wrong choice.
Leather wallets are often carried for their classic look and the fashion value of leather. High-quality leather goods make an impression and can spruce up an outfit. Remember that a wallet isn’t just a tool. It’s an accessory as well. One of the benefits of choosing a leather wallet is its role in contributing to your overall look, style, and presentation.
On the other hand, aluminum wallets have aesthetic and fashion value as well. The look of an aluminum wallet is sleek and modern and lends itself to simple, rugged outfits. Depending on your career, lifestyle, and personal fashion preferences, it’s up to you to determine which material is best for your wallet— there’s no objective “best” option.
Are Aluminum Wallets More Secure?
RFID-blocking technology can be implemented into both aluminum and leather wallets. Ekster offers both aluminum and leather money-carrying mechanisms, and all of them have built-in RFID protection for your cards. Ekster’s leather wallets and cardholders have metal Faraday cages built into their card-holding slots. The leather exterior looks great, and the interior is just as secure as a wallet with an aluminum exterior.
Wallet or Cardholder?
When it comes to your money-carrying mechanism of choice, the main factors that come into play are the demands of your career and lifestyle, your personal style preferences, and how you tend to make purchases throughout the day. A cardholder is a great option if you are interested in a more non-traditional, sleek, and minimalistic many-carrying option. Ekster’s cardholders fan out your cards with the push of a button for easy access and selection, saving you time and energy. If simplicity is your goal and you’re looking for something that is a departure from the wallets carried by men in generations before you, opt for an Ekster cardholder.
If you’re a purist who loves to appreciate the classics while living in the modern world, Ekster’s Modular bifold wallet is the best wallet out there for you. Holding onto the classic wallet format but updating it to meet the demands of modern life, the Modular bifold looks and feels great. It’s reminiscent of the classic wallets of decades gone by but is right at home in 2020.
Not sure whether to go for a bifold or a cardholder? You’re in luck. Ekster offers a happy medium in the form of the Parliament wallet. With multiple RFID-protected card slots, a multi-purpose strap for holding cash and the same convenient card-ejection system as Ekster’s senate cardholder, the Parliament is a perfect combination of form and function.
How to Safeguard Your Wallet
When you’re carrying around a high-quality wallet, it’s important to both keep a low profile and protect your information in case the worst happens. If you lose your wallet or suspect that it’s been stolen, Ekster has the technology to help you get it back. Ekster’s wallets and cardholders can be easily equipped with a credit card-sized tracker that can give you your wallet’s location via GPS. Plus, if you misplace your wallet somewhere in the house, you can ring its tracker from your phone and locate it instantly.
Equipping your wallet with a tracker card lowers the risk of losing it immensely. The combination of a smart tracker with an RFID-protected wallet gives you peace of mind when you make payments and go about your daily tasks. That peace mind is well worth the investment and brings a simpler, more stylish way of carrying money along with it.
As you know now, RFID-blocking technology can be found in both aluminum and leather wallets in the form of a Faraday cage. When it comes to deciding which wallet material is best for you, there’s plenty of personal freedom. Style and fashion are grey areas where you have the ability to choose what looks and feels best. Ultimately, when you choose an Ekster wallet or cardholder, you’re getting much-needed protection for your contactless cards in a great-looking package. This is true regardless of the material you choose for your wallet.
When you’re looking for a new wallet, take into consideration the outfits you wear and what will pair best with them. Accessorizing with a great-looking wallet can be a major boost to your confidence and overall presentation, so it’s well worth it to get a wallet that you love. Make sure you choose one with RFID protection built in, whether it be leather or aluminum, because we make the smartest wallet. When you need security, functionality, and style, Ekster has you covered.
Source:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/15/2-occasions-when-its-important-not-to-use-cash.html
https://science.howstuffworks.com/faraday-cage.htm
https://www.finance-monthly.com/2019/12/5-reasons-why-we-still-need-cash/
