{"id":78497,"date":"2015-01-31T00:05:57","date_gmt":"2015-01-30T22:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=78497"},"modified":"2015-01-30T15:28:25","modified_gmt":"2015-01-30T13:28:25","slug":"one-high-tech-credit-card-to-rule-them-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/trending\/78497\/one-high-tech-credit-card-to-rule-them-all\/","title":{"rendered":"One high-tech credit card to rule them all"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carrying separate credit, debit, gift, and loyalty cards is so 2003. Why not replace them all with a paper-thin PCB clad in shiny metal?<\/p>\n

This is the goal of the team at Swyp, which has developed a card-like device that can store 25 card profiles.<\/p>\n

The Swyp card is equipped with a magnetic stripe and a circuit board which stores the various cards’ information and allows users\u00a0to choose between them by pressing a “next” button on its face.<\/p>\n

“All of this technology now fits inside a card that is less than 0.8 mm thick,” the group said.<\/p>\n

\"Swyp<\/a>

Swyp Tech Specs<\/p><\/div>\n

To set up the Swyp, users take their existing cards and place them in the card reader that ships with the Swyp. The reader connects\u00a0to a\u00a0phone, which then uses an app to transfer the card data to the Swyp.<\/p>\n

“Most types” of magnectic stripe-based cards work with the reader and app, Swyp said.<\/p>\n

The card’s\u00a0magnetic stripe changes depending on the card you have selected, allowing you to use\u00a0the right card when you need it.<\/p>\n

Made out of a metal alloy and sporting a 1×1-inch display, the card supports Bluetooth connectivity and is compatible with iOS and Android devices.<\/p>\n

The need for the Swyp card to be compatible with mobile devices also comes into play when looking at its security features.<\/p>\n

\"Swyp<\/a>

Swyp Card<\/p><\/div>\n

Besides a standard PIN, the card automatically locks itself if it’s more than 6 feet away from the phone you have paired it with.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0PIN is required to unblock the card if it does venture out of range, and multiple incorrect attempts to unlock the card results in the card data being wiped.<\/p>\n

For those concerned about card information being stored on a server somewhere, Swyp says all the data is kept on the card and the paired phone.<\/p>\n

The Swyp card is\u00a0EMV ready (Europay, MasterCard, and VISA), but does not support NFC.<\/p>\n

Besides removing the need to carry multiple cards, Swyp\u00a0claims to be able to predict your spending patterns using its “intelligent algorithm” and knows which card you are going to use next.<\/p>\n

The Swyp is\u00a0available for pre-order for\u00a0$49 in the States, but will retail for $99 – according to its\u00a0site<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A video detailing the Swyp card is embedded below.<\/p>\n