MAKE: Blog: Inside the PayPass: Credit card case mods

Inside the PayPass: Credit card case mods

1265005623 66Ae50849D
1265010357 Fce48E28Af
Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories crack open a RFID PayPass and put it in a Hello Kitty dispenser (of course)... -

The PayPass is an RFID version of the MasterCard credit card. It is often available as a keychain "fob," like the one shown above. This particular one is from Citibank and is-- as far as I can tell-- a free optional addition to any Citibank Mastercard account. These have been in the wild for about a year now, and seem pretty handy. The obvious downside is that the RFID readers are far from ubiquitous. Still, things are improving and there are now quite literally dozens of places where you can use them.

From a hardware perspective it's easy to see that this fob consists of the RFID element itself encased in a big block of plastic. And of course, plastic can be removed.

Credit card case mods - Link.

If I were Citi bank I would do a Credit card case mod contest... I'll email them now and see what they say :)

Related:

Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: shbazjinkens on August 29, 2007 at 5:02 PM

It just occurred to me that a flip up enclosed casing like that could be used as a pretty effective Faraday cage to keep the card from being read inappropriately. Of course, it would have to be metalized first.

I don't care myself because I'm never going to use those insecure things.

Posted by: firimari on August 30, 2007 at 5:36 AM

This is why the hardware store sells copper screen door mesh: to line your duct-tape wallet in.

Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now

Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out... Welcome to the Make Blog!

The online premiere of Make: television is January 3rd 2009, visit makezine.tv or iTunes to see the entire first episode! The broadcast premiere will follow shortly after depending on when your local Public Television station airs it.

Happy New Year from MAKE!

MAKE's 2009 New Year's message.
What we're making in 2009.

MAKE's RSS feed is here.
Add MAKE to iGoogle - GoogleGoogle.
How to add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
Add MAKE on Twitter.
MAKE's fan page on Facebook.
Add MAKE on FriendFeed

Why advertise on MAKE?
Read what folks are saying about us!

Click here to advertise on MAKE!

Makezine authors!

Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor
Tel: 707-827-7311
Twitter / AIM

Gareth Branwyn
Jonah Brucker-Cohen
Chris Connors
Collin Cunningham
Marc de Vinck
Mike Dixon
Peter Horvath(intern)
Kip Kay
Luke Iseman
John Park
Patti Schiendelman
Becky Stern
Jason Striegel

Suggest a Site!

Current Podcast

Weekend Project: Simple Laser Communicator (PDF) Secretly shoot your voice across the room on a laser beam. Thanks go to Simon Quellen Field for the original article in Make: Volume 16 View the PDF... More...

Get the Make blog sent via email

Enter your email to receive the Make blog each day:

WOW! Thanks to everyone involved with Maker Faire Bay Area and Maker Faire Austin in 2008: attendees, makers, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, and crew...it was an AMAZING year! Over 1,000 Makers and 87,000+ attendees total! Be sure to check out the photos @ Flickr, and our Maker Faire posts for all the action! Check back for dates for 2009 soon!