A chip under the skin that stores your credit card? That sounds crazy, but 50,000 people worldwide already have such a chip, including 2,000 in Germany. Tim from Haan is one of them and has the chip implanted under the ring finger of his left hand.
Experiences with the NFC chip
“I can walk around on the nude beach and still buy an ice cream,” says Tim. The chip is always with you and cannot be lost. Thanks to NFC technology (Near Field Communication), it should be impossible to be tracked. Tim has already paid with the chip everywhere: “At the gas station, in the supermarket, everywhere else you put the card, I can of course put my hand on it. That’s always very spectacular.”
In the supermarket or restaurant, people are often fascinated when Tim pays with his hand. Sometimes they even call in colleagues to demonstrate it. The chip and housing are about the size of a paper clip. You can see him, but Tim says you can’t feel him. The chip can also be implanted in the heel of the hand or on the forearm, but Tim finds the left hand works best. When he pays and wears his smartwatch, most people think he wants to pay with it.
“I’ve already done various dances with cashiers because the device has been moved and you have to be very close to it. NFC has a range of around ten centimeters and it’s crucial whether you put the reader on your wrist or on the back of your hand.”
Costs and the future of the NFC chip
The chip, including implantation in the piercing studio, cost around 300 euros and can remain under the skin for eight years. For legal reasons it is no longer possible at the moment. Tim can still wear his until 2028: “There won’t be a new one in 2028, at least not for paying. There are many alternatives in the meantime. I also wear a payment ring. Of course, it can be stolen or lost. That’s the only disadvantage. I no longer have to have the skin cut open to replace it. If there was a permanent solution, I would have it replanted.”
