Tests will begin to allow you to “locate” your bank card via your phone after losing it.
“Beep beep”, the bank card is under the sofa. “Beep beep”, it is in the pocket of his jacket. Technology allowing you to geolocate your bank card will work a bit like all those chips that you attach to your suitcase or keys to avoid losing them (Apple AirTags, Samsung SmartTags or Tile trackers). It will be the same principle, but integrated directly into the card. So, once it is referenced in the tracking application, we will be able to follow its map. And possibly the wallet in which it is stored. We can even program it to alert us as soon as it strays a little too far from our phone.
>> Subcutaneous chip: our keys or our bank card always within reach with an electronic implant in the palm
Until now, the first instinct, when you lost your card, was to file a complaint. There, we can settle for a temporary blockage, until we find it. There is no GPS inside. IThere’s just a Bluetooth chip that works like a beacon. It will be spotted by all surrounding phones. And they are the ones who will then report the GPS position of the map anywhere in the world. But suddenly, if it is lost in a place where no one passes, it will be difficult to find it.
Another disadvantage, as the card communicates with telephones, it needs energy and therefore a battery. Its autonomy is given for several months. Knowing that a bank card remains valid for several years, this means that it will have to be recharged regularly. Otherwise, we risk no longer being able to locate it: yes, one more device to plug in!
A testing phase
We don’t know yet when it will be available.. The first tests will begin in the coming weeks in Korea. This will be through a partnership between Samsung, American Express and a local card issuer. And only if these tests are conclusive can a wider deployment be considered.
Once again, the bank card is trying to reinvent itself. To reinforce its security, we had already tried the integrated fingerprint reader or the mini-screen which regularly changes the CVV code (the three digits at the back). But so far, only practical innovations like contactless have succeeded in establishing themselves. We’ll see if a geolocatable map will have the same success… Even if we have to reload it.