RFID Wallets Online
Why should you invest in an RFID Wallet? We will walk you through why this makes such an amazing gift idea and how it can keep your data safe.
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Shopping for RFID Wallets Online 2021
Wallets are one of the most popular gifts for men at any time of the year, followed not-so-closely by gift cards and electronics. This default selection makes sense given that wallets have been a staple of a man’s wardrobe for as long as he has had reason to carry food, gold bullion, paper money, or credit cards. And while wallet styles and materials might have changed over the years, very little else has, even though other portable and wearable technologies continue to evolve at a dizzying pace. Despite what is going on in a globalized, digital, and data-driven world, the traditional bifold wallet remains the tried, true, but sadly outdated staple of most men's lives.
The RFID wallet marks the evolution of this longtime men’s wardrobe staple. Slim, strong, and fashionable, it is technologically advanced to protect his personal data from cyberthieves and electronic pickpockets wherever they might lurk. Taking full advantage of state-of-the-art materials and world-class design features, an RFID wallet balances form and function. Designed to be slipped into his pocket with the complete confidence that his personal data is safe, his money secure, and that he can go about his day focusing on what is essential in his world: family, business, and enjoying the lifestyle he has worked hard to achieve.
To help you negotiate the sometimes confusing world of shopping for RFID wallets online, we have prepared a brief guide about the technology, the benefits, and where to find a gift that he will use and appreciate every day.
What is RFID?
Developed for commercial and industrial applications in the 1970s, Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology was used initially to track large items like trucks, shipping containers, and large pieces of equipment. As innovations and market needs have reshaped the technology, RFID tags got smaller while expanding to store increasingly large amounts of vital data waiting to be accessed, decoded, and read. There are various configurations of RFID technologies. The most common is powered into action when a reader is brought within range and is triggered to transmit radio frequencies to a nearby reader. The reader picks up the tag’s radio waves and decodes them to unlock the stored data. Depending on the tags' power and broadcast frequency, readers can collect data from up to 20 feet in some cases.
As RFID technology got smaller and smaller, credit card companies saw the potential benefit of using it to create the now-familiar contactless card technology that allows us to make payments by simply tapping or waving a card at a payment terminal, which functions as a reader and decoder of the data stored in the card. And though credit cards have historically been a safe method of conducting everyday transactions, the convenience has come at some risk, most notably through what is known as skimming.
Top RFID Wallets Online
I am excited to share with you the reasons why an RFID Wallet is a worthy gift for any occasion. Stick around, we have more to say!
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Understanding Skimming
When a cybercriminal or electronic pickpocket sets out to skim credit card information, the process is relatively simple. He purchases an RFID reader or scanner (readily available for under $100) that is preset for the correct RFID frequency (usually up to 13.56 MHz). Once the electronic pickpocket gets within the transmission range, the machine does the rest.
Once within range, the reader triggers his credit card RFID tag to send out radio waves that contain his card's vital information. The reader then collects these radio signals and decodes them, extracting the information supposedly held securely in the RFID tag. Without even knowing it, you have become a victim of skimming. The criminal might be well on his way to a spree of fraudulent purchases (often online), which now makes you a victim of what is called Card Not Present fraud.
Card Not Present means the buyer's credit card is never physically present a transaction is completed. The card user effectively skirts the credit card chip's security features and personal identification number (PIN). These transactions are often done for sales ordered over the phone, by email, or online. Card Not Present Fraud is on the rise as more people go cashless and more criminals take advantage of RFID technology, with recent data suggesting that it is 81 percent more likely to occur than traditional in-store fraud. Some common recommendations that can help prevent this type of theft include:
- Set up mobile alerts for all his accounts, which will send you an immediate notification any time his card is used, allowing you to immediately identify suspicious charges.
- Ensure he has a strong (and different) password for each of his online accounts and avoids saving them when shopping online.
- Take time every month to review his credit card statements and credit report. These tools document activity on his accounts and give you a clear picture of how his card is being used and what you are being charged for.
The best frontline defense against skimming, of course, is an RFID wallet that stops any reader from accessing the personal information held on a credit card regardless of how close the reader is. So, when shopping for RFID wallets online, you know that you are buying a gift that is not only stylish but also elevates his cybersecurity and protects his identity wherever he goes.
What Are RFID Wallets Made Of?
When comparing RFID wallets online, there are two materials that you should be looking for: carbon fiber and aluminum.
Carbon fiber wallets are made from a super material that had its start in the research-and-development facilities of aerospace, aviation, and military manufacturers before being embraced by designers of racing cars and high-end products perfectly suited for extreme sports and adventure enthusiasts. With a tensile strength that is 5 times greater than steel combined with a revolutionary weight to strength ratio, carbon fiber is also chemical, heat, and corrosion-resistant. It is the ideal solution for keeping his ID and credit cards safe regardless of how extreme his lifestyle gets or the unusual conditions he finds himself in.
Slightly less strong but almost equally as durable as carbon fiber in terms of chemical and corrosion resistance, aluminum wallets deliver several additional benefits. They absorb the energy from drops, bumps, and crashes almost twice as well as high-grade steel of the same thickness, making his credit cards almost invincible to physical damage. They are also nearly 100 percent recyclable. Almost 75 percent of all aluminum produced in the US is still in circulation today, which is good for the environment and for business, given that recycling aluminum saves more than 90 percent of the energy required to produce new metal.
Most importantly, when shopping for RFID wallets online, both carbon fiber and aluminum wallets can be readily equipped with state-of-the-art technologies designed to block the 13.56MHz frequencies used by hackers looking to skim his credit cards. Either of these materials provide powerful frontline protection of his personal data.
Designed from high-permeability materials, RFID wallets push back against electric charges like those emitted by an RFID reader to trigger the RFID tag. Rather than letting the waves gain free access to his credit cards, RFID wallets “bend” the waves as they contact with the carbon fiber or aluminum. These bent waves are then spread out across the surface of the wallet, where they are easily absorbed before they ever reach his credit cards. Protection secured, and his data remains safe.
Leather wallets can also be fitted with RFID blocking technology but often does so at the expense of thickness and style. However, traditional leather does not protect your cards or cash from the destructive powers of water, heat, or chemicals despite typically costing more than their carbon fiber or aluminum cousins.
Additionally, leather is environmentally questionable when compared to carbon fiber and aluminum. Slow to biodegrade (about 50 years), leather is tanned using a combination of syntans, glutaraldehyde (the stuff used to treat warts), and formaldehyde. Leather tanneries contribute significantly to chromium pollution, which poses severe risks to the environment and human health worldwide. The exposure pathways are numerous and dangerous, given that chromium from leather tanning commonly finds its way into air, soil, food, and water in proximity to tanning operations. The most common forms of exposure are inhalation of dust or fumes and ingestion of or contact with contaminated water.
Now That We've Covered the Basics...
Let's discuss some other cool reasons that would definitely convince you.
The Benefits of an RFID Wallet
Besides the obvious benefit of keeping his personal data, it is also good to know some of this new technology's other benefits when shopping for RFID wallets online. Here is a brief list of some of the benefits most people ask about.
They stay ahead of technology. RFID technology is advancing rapidly and will soon be widely used as a kind of personal GPS locator that can track the specifics of his location and report these coordinates back to whoever programs the RFID tag or intercepts the signal en route. Because of its unique construction, an RFID wallet blocks all RFID frequency transmissions, meaning it stays ahead of the innovation curve. His personal information and privacy are protected from any type of tracking or exposure wherever he goes.
They offer a bonus of lightweight durability. Built from materials that naturally absorb what is known as crash energy, RFID wallets provide better-than-steel protection for his credit cards and ID documents. And it does so while remaining unbelievably lightweight and thin, which helps him avoid the dreaded fat wallet syndrome that results in potentially debilitating lower back pain.
They are resistant to pretty much everything. A significant limitation of wallet materials like leather or fabric is their aversion to water, chemicals, or heat, all of which can do serious damage to whatever cash, cards, or essential documents he has stored. Carbon fiber and aluminum RFID wallets are totally chemical, heat, and corrosion resistant, which means that he can take them anywhere without worrying about damage or destruction ruining his day.
Are RFID Wallets Stylish?
You will be surprised when shopping for RFID wallets online on how stylish they are. Because both carbon fiber and aluminum have high strength to thickness ratios, they can be made very thin without any impact on flexibility. This means that his RFID wallet is available in a full range of styles and designs, which means that you will always find a style that will meet his exacting standards. Types that you might come across when perusing RFID wallets online include:
- The Classic Bifold allows him ease of access to cash or credit cards with a flap lift. Versatile and comfortable, it is the original modern wallet design that can keep everything in order while still looking sophisticated.
- The Almost-Classic Trifold sets itself apart thanks to the number of storage compartments available. This style is ideal for the man who carries more cards or cash than the average person, the trifold comes with the inherent risk of overstuffing. Try to make a trifold carry too much and is wallet style that comes with risk. Plentiful compartments are temptations for overstuffing. Overstuff a trifold, and he moves quickly away from a chic to a bulky profile.
- The Hybrid Slim Wallet is the newest style innovation available and was built with one outcome in mind: a lower profile than the bi- or trifold styles. Most have a metal or carbon fiber body (to hold credit cards) secured with a silicone band to hold cash. Super flat, these slim wallets might prove challenging to men who still carry more than one or two cash bills.
- The Breast Pocket Wallet is an option within RFID wallets that is particularly useful for two reasons. It is the perfect wallet for those special occasions when he wants to look super cool or travels overseas often. Of all the RFID wallets, this is the ideal style to hold his passport and different types (and sizes) of currency.
- The Cardholder Wallet was initially designed to carry business cards but can certainly pull double duty in the RFID category. Super slim and ideal for everyday use, this style is the dream slim wallet for the minimalist man on your gift list.
Both materials' tensile strength allows for remarkably thin wallets, holding as many as 12 credit cards without ever stretching. This style remains slim and perfect to be slipped discretely into any pocket. No need for a cumbersome, overstuffed wallet when discretion and comfort are now possible.
And suppose classic brown or black is not the most authentic expression of who you are. In that case, both aluminum and carbon fiber wallets are available in a wide assortment of classic and somewhat more edgy colors. And if you opt for a carbon fiber version, the color is built right into the fiber so it will never fade and remain true much longer than a traditional paint or dye can.
Final Thoughts
Living in a fast-paced, digital world means that every day is about evaluating risk. The risk to his privacy, his money, and the personal information he carries with him every day does not have to add stress to his already hectic life. An RFID wallet is a stylish, comfortable, and secure way to reduce the risk associated with cyber-theft and personal data breaches. Durable and strong, carbon fiber or aluminum RFID wallets are an affordable addition to any man's wardrobe and an excellent gift for those he loves and protects.
