So you have two debit cards, seven credit cards, and more rewards cards than you can count. Keeping track of all that plastic can be aggravating, especially if you try carrying them around with you all of the time. And then there’s traveling. If you’re a globetrotter using credit cards and one of your cards or your entire wallet gets lost or stolen, it could take you several weeks, months, or years to resolve the matter. Wocket smart wallet is a simple but powerful electronic device, that looks like a cross between a small wallet and an old-school pager, that helps you keep thousands of credit cards safe and ready to use with just one card to swipe.
Developed by e-commerce solutions provider NXT-ID, the Wocket smart wallet is fairly easy to use. The device, which you order from the company, costs about $179 and comes with a leather-stitched wallet and a card with your name engraved on the face, just like a normal credit card. The card has a magnetic strip and a signature field on the back for you to sign.
To use Wocket, you first need to choose a PIN or setup voice verification. That way, nobody can use your Wocket but you. The smart wallet comes with an attachable mini-scanner, and you swipe your credit cards into the system. Wocket also reads QR codes, sometimes printed on loyalty cards, and you can enter barcodes manually. Once you’ve entered details for all your credit and debit cards into Wocket, you can stash the originals in a safe place and head out shopping.
Your in-store experience using Wocket is similar using a regular credit card in some ways. You turn on the device, enter your PIN on the touch screen or use your voice to verify your identity, and tap to choose which credit card you want to use. The device loads the swipeable card with details of your credit or debit card of choice and wipes the card once you’ve swiped it at the point of sale. So if you lose the card or the device while out shopping, between the biometric encryption and the fact that the card deletes your credit card information as soon as you use it, you don’t have to stress out about your identity or credit card information being stolen.
Wocket even makes online shopping easy. You just access the touch screen and pick the card you want to use. Wocket can also help you choose more secure passwords for your online shopping accounts. The smart wallet stores them, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting them.
Short battery life remains one of the things that makes some smart devices unreliable, especially when you’re on the go. Wocket has a battery life of about one year, so once you charge it, you're good to go. The smart wallet is a standalone device, meaning you don’t need to connect it to a computer or smart device to sync any data, which significantly reduces the chance of your private information getting hacked. Wocket recently released an app for owners to download software updates and expanded features. So if you have the smart wallet, you’ll need to connect it to a smart device to take advantage of any updates.
Wocket has a lot of positive features, but it does have some drawbacks worth mentioning. Some consumer reviews note that the smart wallet experiences slowness at times, which can be an inconvenience when you’re in the checkout line at the supermarket. Also, Wocket itself is fairly small, with just enough space for a driver’s license, so you’ll need to plan for a secure place to keep anything else you want to take along with you, such as your passport and cash.
A clutter-free wallet is one of the best ways to keep your credit cards safe and protect your identity. It’s a good idea to have a backup on hand, like a debit card or some cash, just to have all your bases covered.
