VaultCard RFID blocking bank card review
VaultSkin VaultCard
£24.99Pros
- Worked every time
- Pop it in your wallet or purse and forget about it
- Reassurance that you're protected
- Reasonable price
Cons
- You might think that it's unneccessary
I was contacted to see if I wanted to test the VaultCard from VaultSkin, It promises to “protect your digital wallet”. Colour me intrigued.
I have seen other products similar to the VaultCard, and I have seem similar products debunked as failures.
As VaultCard was still a Kickstarter project when I was contacted I was extremely interested to how it would perform.
VaultCard design
The card itself has the dimensions of a regular ol’ credit card. Perhaps a bit thicker (1.1mm).
It’s even been made to replicate those looks, complete with a serial number and hologram sticker.
In the top left of the card it states 13.65MHz, which is the frequency used by RFID cards.
On the back of the card there is information regarding the protection it gives and how far away from the VaultCard you need to hold the card you want to use.
VaultCard performance
I have tested the VaultCard at the station’s Oyster Card barriers, with my work ID pass and when paying for goods. On each occasion, the transaction failed to take place because of the protection given by the card.
The VaultSkin website states that:
Vaultcard switches on automatically when it senses the electromagnetic wave emitted by a RFID scanner.
It responds to a signal strength a hundred times smaller han what your RFID enabled cards need. VaulCcard then creates a sophisticated electromagnetic jamming signal that blocks RFID readers.
This principle is frequently use in military jamming systems.
The stronger the signal of the scanner, the stronger the jam signal that VaultCard will generate. This way your credit cards, passports, etc. remain protected from even the most powerful scanning devices.”
I am unable to vouch for any of the tech behind it but I can say that the card had a 100% success (or should that be fail) rate.
It also works when the VaultCard is just near to the cards you want to protect. It doesn’t have to be touching or even in real close proximity to your contactless cards.
The other bit of good news is that it doesn’t use batteries so, in theory, it will continue to do its job indefinitely.
VaultCard review conclusion
There are some scary statistics surrounding RFID theft through card skimming.
As contactless payment cards become increasingly popular it makes sense that the ne’er-do-wells will look for any opportunity to relieve you of your money.
The VaultCard does work and, for that reason alone, I cannot knock it.
VaultCard price and availability
The Kickstarter campaign was a success but you can still get one at the pre-order price of £24.99 via the VaultSkin website.
