OnlyCoin (or “Coin” as it is otherwise known) is an exciting start-up hoping to change the way we use card payments. The San Francisco-based team has created one electronic plastic card which is shaped like a credit card. Coin allows you to load up to eight cards onto a single plastic device and this includes your debit, credit, and gym membership card.
A coin is priced at $100 and is the solution to the age-old problem of having too many credit cards and a heavy wallet full of plastic. So walking around with this one card, it’s the next step toward a wallet-free society.
How it works
Coin comes with a mobile phone app which you download with a simple connecting cable to upload cards. Then when you’re at the store checkout, you take your Coin card and press the only button to choose which card to pay with and simply swipe it through the system. The payment is processed as Coin links to your mobile phone to confirm the bank details via Bluetooth.
Features
- You can tell which card you’ve uploaded via the phone app. Users are encouraged to take photos of their cards to keep track.
- The battery in Coin lasts up to two years
- If you lose the card, you can cancel it via the mobile phone app
- Only works when swiped and does not work for chip and pin
Verdict
A paperless and wallet-free society is certainly the future and Coin is a viable alternative to carrying around a hefty wallet. There is a clever link with the phone app since mobile banking is on the rise and early adopters are already making payments with their mobile phones.
The price of $100 may discourage consumers who may prefer to keep that money in their back pocket. But the case of making a payment through a mobile phone is becoming very strong so no doubt this will be the inevitable future of paying for things.
Guest Post By: Daniel Tannenbaum
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Author Bio:
Daniel is the creator of APR explained – a site dedicated to helping consumers understand APR in financial products
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