Why RFID Wallets (Likely) Do Nothing For You

Many have unknowingly fallen into the trap setup by today's wallet makers when purchasing an RFID-blocking wallet. You may think that these wallets protect you from having your identity and credit card information stolen, but chances are, you were never at risk for this. RFID stands for radio frequency identification, meaning a small device that transmits data using radio frequencies. These are usually found in animal trackers. What they aren't found in are most credit cards. When referring to a credit card with RFID capabilities, they can be used through contactless payments, like Apple Pay. The difference is, you don't need a fingerprint to pay using these. They're much more vulnerable, for a little more convince. Few people use these cards. If you're unsure about if you have one, you'll usually be able to tell from the marketing on the card. MasterCard PayPass, American Express ExpressPay, Discover Zip, and Visa payWave are the big names in the contactless credit card business. If you have one of these cards, then an RFID wallet may be for you. But for other credit cards, whether they have a magnetic strip or a EMV chip, you are not at risk for RFID theft.