Visa Invented a Ring That Doubles As a Credit Card
There are so many great things about the Olympics (cue that epic theme song): those adorable Olympic uniforms, getting together with friends for an Olympics party and, apparently, debuts of the latest and coolest gadgets.
Visa is introducing a rad ring, capable of making payments just like a credit card, this summer at the Rio 2016 games. They’re waterproof and don’t require any battery or charging — perfect for Olympians who need to buy something immediately after completing the 400-meter breaststroke.
The rings work with NFC (Near Field Communication), the technology at work behind Apple Pay and those swipe-less credit cards. It’s also super safe. It works with a “token” system that encodes the wearer’s credit card information. According to Visa, it is the world’s first “tokenized payment ring.” And on top of all the tech, the ring is a wearable we would actually wear. It’s a simple design that would look good on any hand.
So, here’s a teeny tiny catch. At the moment, the Visa Payment Ring is only for the 45 Team Visa Olympic athletes, a spokesperson for Visa told us. However, don’t give up hope yet: This is being used as a trial period that will “help inform any next steps.” Does this mean a credit card ring could totally be in your future? Affirmative, yo.
The payment rings will start working down in Rio when the games start on August 5.
Will you be watching the Olympics this year? Let us know @BritandCo!
(Photo via Visa)
