The Future of Your Wallet
Back when Apple Pay was announced, we quickly hopped on board with the promise of a lighter wallet (or heck, no wallet). And now with Apple Passbook being updated and renamed Apple Wallet to now support retailer and loyalty cards, we're excited to be one step closer to the future of your wallet. While we wait for our favorite stores to accept Apple Pay, there are admittedly still cards we carry with us — which is where "smart" credit cards make us really excited. Minimizing what you carry every day is a passion of ours, which is why we've invented Wally wallets and keep pre-ordering each and every all-your-cards-in-just-one-card "smart" digital credit card.
Each solution offers the same promise of reducing all your credit cards onto one card, but each has their own method, display, and delivery date. One thing they all appear to have in common: They work to pay for your coffee. Take a look at all the ways Wally and a digital credit card are a minimalist-wallet match made in heaven:
Coin – Launched in November of 2013, Coin was ahead of their time — and themselves, apparently, because they're now a full year behind their original projected date. The good news is, just yesterday Brian got word that his Coin shipped! We can't wait to give it a try like these guys did with a beta version. While some pre-orders are currently shipping, new orders are pre-orders only for $100.
Plastc – While waiting patiently for Coin last year, Plastc came onto the scene in 2014. This digital card is Lindsay's favorite, with the touch e-ink display. We shook hands with these guys at CES in Las Vegas, and noticed the CEO Marc was carrying his business cards in a Wally Sleeve. We had a moment. Claiming to ship in "Summer 2015" (which in Charleston it feels summer is already upon us), you can pre-order one for $155 or take $20 off here.
"I will utilize Apple Pay because it’s simple and easy, but there are so many use cases in our world where I’m still going to need a physical card. There are so many things that point-of-sale machines just aren’t ready for yet." — Ryan Marquis, Plastc COO
Stratos – In the meantime, in March 2015 newcomer Stratos appeared on the scene AND started shipping the next month. Its included annual upgrades and the unique tap-to-interact are what differentiate this card from the rest. It's first come first served, with a "membership" cost of $95. We loved reading this hands-on with Stratos, and writer David sums up his experience well:
"There are a thousand upsides to a card like Stratos, even beyond finally ditching your gigantic George Costanza wallet. The story's much bigger than slimming your wallet: It’s about making paying for things easier, more efficient, and more customer-friendly. Even if it does confuse a few bartenders in the process." — David Pierce, Wired
Swyp — And then there's this guy. Hop on the waitlist for Batch 2 — and note that Batch 1 is expected to ship in Fall 2015. What differentiates this "smart" card is that Swyp will "learn" which card you'd like to use based on your past purchasing habits. I imagine this will be helpful since scrolling through a tiny digital screen might take too long when all you want to do is buy your coffee.
