Cha-ching! Whether you’re old school and like to pay with cash, or you prefer the convenience of a simple credit card swipe, you may be wondering which is really the better method. And the answer is, (drumroll please…) it depends.
The cash vs card debate is as old as the credit card itself. While credit cards are more the norm these days thanks to their convenience, reward programs, and security, cash is often a better way to stay on budget, doesn’t come with fees, and is widely accepted almost everywhere.
The cash vs credit cards pros and cons list is long, but don’t worry. We’ll break it down to help you determine which is the best to use and when.
Pros and Cons of Credit Cards
Credit Card Pros
Grace Period: One of the biggest advantages of using a credit card is the grace period, which allows you to make purchases and not accrue interest if you pay off your balance in full by the due date. This can be helpful if you need to make a large purchase but don’t have the cash on hand, as you can pay it off over time without accruing interest.
Build Credit: Using a credit card responsibly can help you build credit, which is important if you want to apply for loans or other forms of credit in the future. By making on-time payments and keeping your balance low, you can show lenders that you are a responsible borrower and improve your credit score, which makes it easier to be approved in the future and qualify for lower interest rates.
Convenience: Using a credit card is undeniably more convenient than cash, especially for larger purchases or online transactions – which you physically can’t use cash for. It also means you don’t have to worry about counting cash in the grocery line, or walking around with loose change in your pocket, which most of us can agree is pretty annoying.
Rewards: Many credit cards offer rewards to users – like travel miles or discounts – or cashback on purchases, which can add up over time. This means that you’re getting additional savings or benefits for using your card that you wouldn’t get otherwise, which is one of the biggest perks of a credit card for most people.
Security: Paying with a card is more secure than cash because they can be canceled and protected against fraudulent activity. If your credit card is stolen, you can contact your lender to have the card canceled and any fraudulent charges removed. If your cash is stolen, well, too bad.
Record Keeping: The beauty of paying with a credit card is that you can go back and review your purchases later to keep track of your spending. You can easily view your transactions online or on your monthly statement, which can help you identify areas where you might be overspending.
Cons of Using a Credit Card
Fees: Card transactions often come with fees like interest charges for carrying a balance, foreign transaction fees for using the card abroad, and even sometimes annual fees just because. These fees can add up and make using cards much more expensive to use a credit card vs cash over time.
Debt: The fees you accrue by not paying your balance off in full each month are more than just an inconvenience – they can lead to crippling debt if you’re not careful. Interest charges and fees can quickly snowball on you, and the longer you wait to pay off your balance, the further in debt you’ll become. This doesn’t have to become a problem if you’re disciplined, but it’s riskier than cash in that way.
Fraud: Even though credit card companies are good about having your back in the event your information is stolen, cards are a lot more vulnerable to fraud than cash in the first place. And if your information is stolen, it can be difficult and time-consuming to rectify the situation.
Not Accepted Everywhere: While most cards are widely accepted these days, there are still some places that don’t take them, such as some small businesses, stores in rural areas, or when you’re making a really small purchase. So, while you’re probably safe, it’s a good idea to at least have some cash on hand in the event you run into a situation like this.
Pros and Cons of Using Cash
Pros of Paying With Cash
Easy to Stay on Budget: Using cash is a tried and true method for ensuring you don’t go over-budget. When you use cash, you are only able to spend what you physically have, which can help you keep better control over your spending. This is particularly useful if you’re living month to month or trying to save money.
No Fees: One of the main advantages of paying with cash is that you never have to worry about paying transaction fees. Pretty much anywhere you go, when you pay with cash, there are no additional charges beyond the cost of the item you are purchasing (besides taxes, but that’s another story).
Privacy: If you want to keep your purchases private, dealing in cash is the way to go. Cash transactions don’t leave a paper trail like card transactions do, which can help maintain your privacy. This is particularly useful if you’re concerned about identity theft, you don’t want to be tracked by companies, or you don’t want your significant other to see how much you spent on that new fishing pole.
Immediate Payment: Cash payments are immediate, so you don’t have to worry about future credit cards bills or accruing interest. So instead of having to pay your credit card bill on payday, you can rest easy knowing you don’t owe any money. Cash also can save you in the long run, particularly if you’re someone who tends to carry a balance on your credit where the interest adds up.
Widely Accepted: Cash is accepted almost everywhere, even for small purchases or at local stores that may not accept cards. If you carry cash, you’ll never be in a situation where you can’t pay for something (unless you don’t have enough money, of course).
Disadvantages of Cash
When It’s Lost, It’s Lost: Carrying large amounts of cash can be risky, simply because if it is somehow lost or stolen, there’s really no way to track it or get it back. Unfortunately, a thief is also more likely to try to rob you for cash than for a credit card for the same reason.
Inconvenience: Cash can be inconvenient, especially when you need to make large purchases. Carrying around a thick wad of cash can be heavy and cumbersome, and it can be difficult to make exact change for some transactions. It may also earn you a few impatient glances at the supermarket as you dig for that quarter you’re sure you have somewhere.
No Rewards: When you use cash, you won’t earn any rewards or cashback for your purchases like you do with a credit card. That means that you’re missing out on all those potential savings and travel miles you could be earning.
Record Keeping: Cash transactions do not provide a record of purchases, which can make it difficult to keep track of expenses and budgeting. While that may be a pro in some situations, it can be problematic if you need to track your spending for tax purposes or to monitor your finances.
Summary
When trying to decide between cash vs card, there are plenty of pros and cons for each that can help you determine which is best for your given situation.
Generally speaking, credit cards offer more security, a chance to grow your credit, typically allow you to earn rewards, and are far more convenient. They also charge fees and interest, which can put you into debt over time.
Cash makes it easy to stay on budget, is accepted everywhere, offers more privacy, and isn’t subject to fees. However, there is no security if your cash is lost or stolen, it makes it harder to keep track of your spending, and it’s less convenient to use.
Luckily, our wallets here at GeoGrit can accommodate both cash and cards, so you always have what you need. These slim wallets can hold up to 12 cards and offer a choice between a cash strap or money clip, so you can customize it to fit your needs. If you’re interested in carrying a minimalist wallet that’s made in the USA, check out our entire collection at GeoGrit.com. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and follow our blog to keep up on all our latest content.
If you’ve ever been camping, we don’t have to tell you that sitting around the fire for stargazing, storytelling, and a s’more or two is the best part.
But, building a campfire isn’t as cut and dried as one might think (ha!). In fact, there are numerous strategies and skills involved that can mean the difference between a roaring fire and a smoking pile of sticks.
There are several campfire building techniques you can use to get your fire going, so it’s important to choose the right one based on your purpose, materials, and environment.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to light a campfire and keep it going so you’ll be ready for your next adventure.
Fire Building Materials
This should go without saying, but you can’t start a fire without the proper materials. Tinder, kindling, wood, and, of course, flame, are all necessary for both starting a campfire and keeping it burning.
Tinder
This is the easiest part, and also the material you can get the most creative with. Tinder is the first thing that will light when you start your fire. It can be anything that’s small, flammable, and easy to manipulate, usually wadded-up paper, cardboard, dry leaves or grass, pine needles, dry bark, wood chips, dryer lint, or anything else that catches fire quickly without the use of lighter fluid.
Kindling
While tinder is great for getting a fire started, it burns out QUICK and can only do so much. You need something for the flame to transfer to, which brings us to kindling.
Kindling is a thin wood source that’s larger than tinder but smaller than firewood. Anything from twigs, sticks, small branches, and slivers of wood work great for this purpose! Essentially, you just need some small pieces that will light easily once the tinder is ablaze.
Firewood
For a true, roaring fire, you’ll need proper firewood. While logs work well once your flames are fully established, when you’re just getting it going you’ll want some dry, split wood.
If you’re gathering firewood, look for dry logs about 1-2 feet long. While you’ll probably have to pick your wood off the ground, try to make sure it’s not too soggy or rotten. Be sure it isn’t still too fresh – or “green” – as well. You can usually tell this by evaluating the wood’s color and scent. If it’s very fragrant, heavy, sappy, or has a bright, yellowish color, it’s probably too fresh and won’t burn well.
Remember to have plenty of firewood on hand. While tinder and kindling are only used to get things started, firewood is the fuel to your campfire, and you’ll need to add more periodically to keep it going.
Spark or Flame
This one seems pretty obvious, but you will need a flame source to get your fire started. As they say, it only takes one spark to get a fire going – and it’s true!
In fact, some people like to use a flint striker to start their campfires just for the fun of it. While more time-consuming and tedious, using a single spark to light a fire is an experience of its own that brings out your inner mountain man and puts your survival skills to the test (plus it’s a great way to impress someone *wink*).
But if you’re like most people, you’re probably looking for a quick, surefire way to get this thing going. If that’s you, a lighter is a perfectly acceptable flame source, or a match if you still want to keep things more natural. A torch is another option if you’re really impatient (we get it) or a magnifying glass and some sunshine will work if you want flashbacks to your childhood.
There is no “wrong” way to introduce a flame to your campfire. Except maybe a flamethrower – we happen to like our forests NOT burned down, so we don’t recommend that!
Campfire Building Techniques
A great campfire only needs a couple of elements: good firewood, flame, and oxygen flow. That last one is important because even if you have the best wood available, simply tossing it into a pile and expecting it to burn is only going to end in frustration.
To have a successful fire, you need to build it properly. But that doesn’t mean there’s one right way to do it. There are a variety of campfire building techniques that allow oxygen to flow and flames to grow (sorry for the cringe there…).
That said, the foundation of your fire will be pretty much the same no matter which building technique you use. Here’s how to start a fire step by step:
First, clear the ground around the area where you want to start a fire. Remove all leaves, grass, sticks, and anything else that appears to be flammable. You’ll want to clear a pretty wide area so that in the event a stray ember or spark pops out of your ring, it won’t touch anything dry. Also, check above the spot you want to use to make sure there aren’t any dead branches hanging overhead!
Now it’s time for some heavy lifting. If you’re in a place where there isn’t one already, build a fire ring using rocks to keep the flames contained. The bigger the better when it comes to choosing rocks for this, but if there aren’t any bowling ball-sized rocks around, you can always pick up a bunch of grapefruit-sized ones and stack them – it’ll just take you twice as long.
Next, you’ll want to create a tinder bed (hey, now’s not the time for jokes!). This is one of the most important parts of making a campfire, as it’s nearly impossible to light one without it! To do this, take your tinder of choice and lay it down in a layer or bundle. Make sure you put down plenty of it, because tinder burns out quickly, and you want to ensure there’s enough to catch your kindling on fire.
You guessed it, the next step is to add the kindling. This is where things start to get a bit more complicated. Most of the time, you’ll stack your kindling on top of the tinder, but exactly how you do it will depend on the technique you decide to use. More on that in a bit.
Finally, it’s time to add the firewood. Again, the exact way you do this will depend on the construction you choose. So, let’s talk about the various types of campfires! ⬇️
Tepee
This style of campfire is by far the most popular, and for good reason. It’s an easy go-to thanks to its simplicity and effectiveness. Because it burns through wood pretty quick, this one is a great choice if you need a fire fast.
As you may have gleaned from the name, these fires are built in a tepee/cone shape with a wide, circular base that comes to a point at the top, allowing plenty of oxygen to flow through.
Tepee fires are super easy to build. All you have to do is lay down your tinder in a pile, then form a tepee shape with small pieces of kindling. Once the kindling catches fire, add some larger sticks, maintaining the tepee shape.
As it burns, the tepee shape will collapse. But don’t worry! When it comes time to add more firewood to the pile, simply lean the wood vertically against the frame. You may need to add a couple of logs at a time if they need something to brace against.
Log Cabin
If you’re looking for an easy-to-build, long-lasting fire, this is the method for you!
To make a log cabin style fire, you’ll need to start by thinking back to your childhood. Lay down two pieces of wood with about a foot in between them. Then, stack two more pieces of wood on top of those facing the other direction, just like you would with a Lincoln Log cabin.
Continue this pattern a few times until it’s at your desired height, using larger pieces of wood at the bottom and lighter, thinner pieces at the top. You can even taper your structure in at the top if you want to get fancy. From there, place your tinder and kindling inside the center square, and light it up!
As a log cabin fire burns, pieces of wood will fall into the center, feeding the flames so that it burns long and slow – perfect for a late night of hanging around without the need to throw new logs on all the time.
Platform
The platform technique is similar to the log cabin, just arranged closer together to make it easier for cooking.
The way you light a platform fire is also different. Once you’ve “Lincoln Logged” your wood – making sure to stack the pieces right next to each other this time (more like Jenga, really) – you’ll place your tinder and kindling on top of the stack tepee style and light it.
Make sure your kindling setup is a big one, as platform fires can be difficult to get started. But once it’s going, you’ll start to notice that as the flames burn from the top down, it will create a solid, flat “platform” of coals that you can place a pot or pan directly onto.
And, much like the log cabin build, this fire is self-sustaining, so you shouldn’t need to keep adding more wood to it.
Lean-to
Sometimes nature just refuses to cooperate while you’re trying to get a fire started. A strong breeze, rain, or snow can be downright infuriating when you’re trying to light a fire. But don’t worry! Just because the elements are fighting you doesn’t mean all is lost. That’s where the lean-to technique comes in.
To create a lean-to fire, start by selecting a large log or rock – the bigger, the better as this will act as your wind block. Place this log on the upwind side of your fire pit, and place your tinder just next to it on the downwind side so that it is sheltered from the elements.
Next, take some small pieces of kindling and place them on top of the tinder. Then, grab some larger sticks and lay them at an angle over the pile, leaning against the large log for support. Kind of like a roof for your tinder and kindling. You can then place some larger pieces of wood on top of these sticks, but be careful not to use too many as you can restrict the flow of oxygen.
When you light your fire, the small flames should be protected from the large log and stick “roof.” When it comes time to add some more wood, simply lean them against the original log like you did in the beginning, which will help them ignite and continue to offer protection from the wind.
Star
This is a bit of a weird one, but the result is a long-burning fire that doesn’t use much wood. It’s perfect if you’re low on supplies toward the end of a camping trip or in a survival situation without many resources.
First, you’ll want to place your tinder and kindling in a tepee style. Then, take four or five round logs and place them around the tepee, fanning them out in a star shape with one end of each log touching the kindling pile and the other end pointing away from it.
Once you light your kindling, the star should burn from the center out. This method works best in a true fire “pit” so that gravity can pull the logs toward the flames as they burn. If you’re working with a flat surface, you can always push them closer as needed. Easy!
Tips for a Successful Campfire
Not all campfires are created equal – some are magical, crackling, warm sources of fun and light, while others just… aren’t. Sometimes it’s because you used the wrong building technique for what you’re doing, sometimes because your materials weren’t good quality.
Whatever the reason, there’s a solution for all your campfire problems. Let’s get into the tips for ensuring a safe, fun, and successful fire-lighting experience.
Practice Fire Safety
As we’ve already said, here at GeoGrit we LOVE our forests! Which is why fire safety is tip number one.
Fire safety is critical when talking about having a campfire in the woods. While enjoying nature, it’s your responsibility to ensure you do so in a responsible manner. Forest fires are no joke, and to take a line from Smokey the Bear, only YOU can prevent them.
Always have your fire in a designated pit or ring. If you’re backcountry camping, be sure to clear an area and make your own ring with plenty of good-sized rocks to keep everything contained.
Never EVER leave a fire unattended – even for a few minutes. No exceptions. If you’re going somewhere you won’t be able to see the fire, just put it out. It’s not worth the risk.
Pay attention to environmental factors. It’s never a good idea to have a fire on a really windy day, for example. Or near a building. Or next to a giant pile of dry leaves. Basically, just use common sense! You should also check with the U.S. Forest Service for any local fire restrictions before getting started. Many places, especially drier climates, have added rules depending on the risk of forest fires at the time.
Properly extinguish your fire. That means your fire should be dead out before you go to bed or leave the site. Pour water on the coals until they are no longer steaming and sizzling, making sure to roll over any remaining logs to douse every side. You can even shovel some dirt on top for added measure!
Always have water nearby in case of emergency. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, bad things happen. One pop could send a spark flying into some dry weeds, and then you’ve got a problem on your hands. Luckily, if you have a bucket of water, dirt, sand, or a fire extinguisher nearby, these incidents can be handled quickly before they get out of control.
Choose the Right Wood for Your Purpose
Whether you’re buying your wood or gathering it in the forest, you don’t always have the luxury of choosing its type. But, if you do, it’s good to know how different types of wood burn and which ones are best for your purposes.
Oak is one of the most common types of firewood. It’s very dense, which means it burns hot, slow, and with minimal sparks. Beech is another wood that burns long and hot, but because it’s so dense, it takes a while to dry, meaning it may be hard to find some that is ready to burn if you’re gathering instead of buying.
Maple firewood is known for being incredibly long-lasting. It produces high heat as well, which is perfect for cooler camping trips. Ash is similar to maple in that it burns hot, slow, and steady, but it’s also lighter and easier to split.
Birch tends to give off plenty of heat, but it is a softer wood and burns up pretty quickly. Pine is similar, and, while it sometimes gets a bad rap, is an excellent choice of firewood when seasoned properly!
If you’re cooking over a flame, you may want to pick up wood from a fruit tree like apple or cherry. Not only do these woods work well for making cooking fires, but they add a nice, smokey flavor to any meats you plan to make.
How to Start a Campfire with Wet Wood
Sometimes, you’ve got to use what you’ve got to use. When you’re camping, the materials available can be unpredictable. And with the nearest Walmart over 40 minutes away, there’s not much you can do about it!
So, how can you make the best of a tough situation? What is the best way to start a campfire with wet wood? And how do you do it without using up an entire bottle of lighter fluid in frustration (and burning the forest down in the process)?
If you’re in rainy, humid, or dewy conditions, don’t worry. It is possible to light a fire with damp wood – your dreams of toasted marshmallows are not in jeopardy!
First, make sure that any wood you use has been split. Round logs are great, but they are much harder to light on fire even in dry conditions, and often still have bark on them that holds moisture.
Next, look for kindling and firewood that’s still sticky with sap. If you can find spruce, fir, pine, or other trees with needles, grab some! The sap that these trees produce is highly flammable and may help you get things going.
Before you lay your kindling down, try snapping it in half to reveal its drier center. You can also look for dead sticks and twigs that are still attached to a fallen log or tree but don’t touch the ground. These will be a lot drier than anything that’s sitting in mud!
You can also start your fire on the windward side at the base of your structure to give it its best chance. As the flame starts to smoke and rise, it will help dry out the rest of the wood, making it easier to ignite.
‘Cheater Methods’ for Getting a Fire Started
If you’re struggling to figure out how to light a campfire on your own, there’s no shame in coming prepared with some fire starters to help get things going.
Fire bricks are readily available at most stores, and are super easy to light. Grabbing some dryer lint from home is another great option as it’s super flammable (don’t forget to clean those lint traps out, people!).
Lighter fluid is another obvious way to get a fire started, but it’s definitely cheating! It can help in a pinch, though, just be careful not to use too much as it can get dangerous fast.
Finally, a weird but effective trick is to soak some cotton balls in petroleum jelly and use them as tinder. They’re guaranteed to catch fire and stay lit longer than most other kinds of tinder, plus they’re much cheaper than fire bricks.
Summary
No camping trip is complete without a roaring fire to gather around when the sun goes down. But there’s more to building a campfire than simply taking a match to a log.
To successfully start a fire, you need to gather tinder and kindling and arrange them into a teepee shape. Then, using one of the campfire building techniques we’ve listed above, slowly start to add logs to keep it going as long as you need it to.
We hope these tips for how to light a campfire will help take your camping game to the next level. But a fire isn’t the only thing that can make your outdoor experience better – a lightweight, minimalist wallet is a great way to help lighten your load so you can focus on the experience rather than the day-to-day.
If you’re interested in carrying a minimalist wallet that’s made in the USA, check out our entire collection at GeoGrit.com. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and follow our blog to keep up on all our latest content.
You’ve probably heard a lot of talk about the dangers of digital pickpocketing and the need for RFID protection. The idea that complete strangers can steal your identity or credit card information just by walking past you may have you thinking about trading your classic leather billfold in for something more equipped for the digital age. But you may still have questions about what exactly RFID blocking is and whether it’s something you really need to worry about.
There is a growing number of credit card companies offering “contactless credit cards” embedded with an RFID chip to help make purchases faster and more convenient. Additionally, all passports and some driver’s licenses now have these chips as well.
While most credit card companies are pretty good about securing the data stored on RFID cards, anyone can easily purchase an RFID reader online, allowing them to access credit card information from several feet away via radio signals. Luckily, products like RFID blocking wallets can interrupt RFID frequencies, so you never have to worry about your card being compromised.
How Does RFID Work?
Simply put, Radio-Frequency Identification, or RFID, is the use of radio waves to transmit information from an RFID “tag,” or chip, to a reader.
RFID technology has been around since the 1960s and has boomed in recent years. Today, RFID chips containing digital information are stored in items like passports, security badges, key fobs, pet ID tags, medical equipment, library books, and even some driver’s licenses for tracking purposes or for storing personal details such as account information.
More recently, RFID tags have been embedded into credit cards allowing users to make purchases by simply holding their card near a payment terminal rather than swiping it or inserting it into the chip reader.
“Contactless credit cards,” as they’ve come to be known, work by holding the card near a card reader that is equipped with an RFID scanner. The RFID chip then communicates with the card reader via electromagnetic frequency to share credit card information with the store’s systems to complete the transaction.
This innovation has proved useful, making credit card transactions more convenient and up to 10 times faster than traditional payment methods.
How Do Criminals Use RFID to Steal Information?
Luckily, cards equipped with RFID technology are actually pretty well protected against most fraudulent schemes. RFID cards are even considered one of the most secure payment methods there is when it comes to credit card transactions thanks to advanced encryption and password strategies.
However, handheld RFID readers with the same technology as your local retail stores can easily be purchased online for as little as $20. These RFID skimmers can easily pick up signals from a credit card, passport, or ID from several feet away. Some smartphones even have built-in readers, allowing people to scan credit cards with their phones through an app.
Your card doesn’t even have to be left out in the open to be vulnerable. RFID readers can pick up signals through clothes, bags, and wallets. You could be walking down the street, dining at a restaurant, or waiting in line at the grocery store when a digital pickpocketer could walk by with an RFID skimmer and download your data almost instantly.
Once a thief has access to the personally identifiable information stored on your RFID tag, including your name, credit card number, and a wealth of other personal data, they can commit identity theft or create a clone of your credit card to make unauthorized purchases.
How Do I Know if My Card Has an RFID Chip?
If you’re unsure whether you have an RFID chip in your credit card or ID, you’re not alone. RFID tags are embedded inside cards and are not visible from the outside, so unless you already use your card for contactless payment, you may not even realize it’s there.
So how do you know if you have an RFID card? If you have a newer credit card, chances are you do. Many mainstream credit card companies are implementing contactless credit cards, including American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, and Discover.
An easy way to tell if your credit card has an RFID chip is to look for an RFID symbol on the front or back of the card. The symbol looks similar to a sideways WiFi symbol or radio waves.
However, it’s important to note that not all cards with RFID capabilities will have a symbol on them. If you don’t see the telltale icon but want to know for sure whether you have a contactless card, it’s best to call your credit card company to find out for sure.
When it comes to passports and IDs, it’s a little simpler. All U.S. passports issued after Oct. 26, 2006, have what the Department of Homeland Security calls an “e-passport chip,” or RFID tag, containing the same information found on the hard copy.
As far as IDs go, only “enhanced driver’s licenses” have RFID chips in them. An enhanced driver’s license allows travelers to cross the Canadian, Mexican, and Caribbean borders more easily and at a lower cost.
However, not all states have the ability to issue these special licenses yet. In the U.S., only those residing in Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Washington, or Vermont with an enhanced license need to consider RFID protection for their ID. Plenty of other states are working toward implementing these IDs, however, so it’s a good idea to stay up to date on the current policies where you live.
How Can I Protect Myself From RFID Theft?
While it’s definitely scary how easily a thief can steal your information in this digital age, it’s actually pretty simple to protect yourself from RFID theft.
First and foremost, stay aware of your surroundings. Be wary of any strange characters who seem like they’re trying to get close to you or who are generally acting in an unusual manner, which you really should be doing anyway!
But regardless of whether you’re hyper-observant of odd behavior or the carefree type who tends to be trusting of those around you, the use of RFID-blocking products like our minimalist GeoGrit wallet can put your mind at ease.
Wallets made from RFID blocking material interfere with the radio frequency emitted from your chipped card, preventing an RFID reader from picking up a signal and accessing your personal information.
But how do you know if you already have an RFID wallet? When you buy an RFID blocking wallet, it should be clearly labeled as such. If it’s been a while since you bought your last billfold, you can always use an RFID scanner to find out if you’re protected or play it safe by purchasing a new one (you deserve one anyway.)
Are There Other Ways to Block RFID?
One of the oldest and cheapest tricks in the book for blocking RFID is wrapping your cards in aluminum foil.
While this method does somewhat successfully work as a DIY RFID blocker, it is by no means foolproof. While aluminum naturally interferes with electromagnetic frequencies, aluminum foil often has other metals or minerals mixed in, rendering it a bit less reliable and a lot less fashionable.
Even though there’s a good chance you could wrap your cards in aluminum foil and never have an issue with RFID theft, there are still some downsides to this approach.
Unless the idea of meticulously cutting rectangular pieces of foil and wrapping each card in it sounds like an enjoyable task, you might be better off just buying something designed to do the job. Plus, think about the awkward encounter you’ll have each time you have to unwrap and rewrap a credit card while standing in a checkout line.
A slightly (and I mean slightly) more practical alternative is the RFID sleeve. These RFID blocking sleeves are cheap and offer reliable RFID protection, but they’re still pretty inconvenient as you have to insert each card into its own sleeve.
Another more extreme option is to simply disable the RFID tag in your card. There are plenty of methods for doing this on the internet, including microwaving your card or disabling wires by cutting, drilling, or heating them. The issue with all of these alternatives is the obvious damage it’s likely to do to your card, which may render it entirely unusable or cause retailers to reject it as a payment method.
While any of these options will get the job done, the easiest and safest way to keep your information out of the hands of fraudsters is by using an RFID wallet or bag.
How Serious Is the Risk of RFID Skimming, Really?
According to the Federal Trade Commission, credit cards were the number one most common target for fraud among all payment methods in 2020. Many of these reports were related to credit card skimming, in which a criminal will acquire credit card information by planting a device in an ATM, gas pump, or other machine or, of course, by using an RFID reader to download credit card data from afar.
With the overall use of contactless payments in the U.S. rising 150% since March 2019, more people now than ever are at risk of becoming a victim of credit card fraud through RFID skimming.
While some might argue that the actual estimated risk of a thief walking by with an RFID reader and skimming your information is pretty low, it’s actually impossible to say how frequently or infrequently it happens.
When credit card fraud occurs, there’s no way of determining whether the information was acquired via an RFID reader or through one of the many other ways thieves can obtain personal data.
Additionally, contactless credit cards are regarded as a more secure option than magnetic stripe cards and equally as safe as chip cards. Each time a contactless transaction is performed, a unique, one-time code or password is created so personal account information is never shared.
Credit card companies in the U.S. are also required to encrypt any personal data exchanged during purchases, making the information stored on an RFID chip nearly impossible to read.
These security tactics may be effective, but they’re not entirely foolproof. Not yet anyway. And since there’s no way to truly gauge how often criminals use RFID readers to steal information, we think it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Our GeoGrit wallets are expertly crafted right here in the U.S.A to provide secure RFID protection in a compact, minimalist design. If you’re looking for a durable, RFID-blocking, minimalist wallet, check out our selection here. All of our products are designed, manufactured, and shipped in America and are backed by our 30-day risk-free trial and lifetime guarantee. To learn more about GeoGrit, read our story here.
