If it is true that we are increasingly "slaves" of technology, making sure we always have smartphones, TWS headphones and much more with us, it is also true that sometimes we want to be free from all this, for example by taking a walk in the open air without every technological devilry. But if we leave home without a smartphone and wallet, what do we do if we suddenly feel like having a coffee or a spritz? Smart rings come to the rescue in this situation and are starting to shake up the technological market, among which we find models created with the sole purpose of allowing you to pay. So here is the review of Tapster, a ring equipped with NFC for making payments without having to carry a smartphone and wallet.
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HOW IT'S DONE?
Having established the concept that this product has only one function, that is to allow you to pay, the Tapster sales package is similar to a classic jewel, including a thank you card for the purchase which also incorporates the QR Code to proceed with the download of the companion app, available for both Android and iOS systems and a bag containing our smart ring.
The Tapster ring is available in many sizes and different materials, such as wood, ceramic and even silver. What the different materials have in common is the construction of the ring itself which basically does not integrate any battery, therefore always active forever. We also find resistance to water and small immersions, although use in the shower and/or for swimming activities is not recommended. The materials are also resistant to scratches and small impacts as well as requiring no internet connection for operation. The only technology used is precisely an NFC chip and related antennas.
APP AND PAYMENTS
Once you have downloaded the app and proceeded with the account registration, you will simply have to activate the Tapster ring, having the NFC sensor of your smartphone read the ring's NFC chip and then proceed with the association of a credit card. By the way, you may be wondering which cards we can associate with Tapster's NFC ring and the answer is practically all of them, taking advantage of a small trick made available by Curve.
In fact, natively in Italy we can associate the Intesa di San Paolo cards or all those cards that we have and can associate with Curve, effectively transforming the ring itself into a payment card but of a different shape. Personally, I have associated the Revolut card through Curve and all the payments made have always been successful. But how to pay? Nothing could be simpler, as you will have to bring the ring close to your finger to the POS terminal, but be careful not to place the ring directly in contact with the NFC receiver of the POS but, by making a fist, you will only have to touch it to allow the reading of the smart ring. I underline this aspect because, online, I saw some reviewers who even removed the ring for a better reading or who declared that it was not read because they had literally placed the ring but incorrectly on the receiver without receiving the actual reading.
Personally, the ring has always worked, but I must also underline that it is preferable to wear the ring on the finger individually, i.e. without additional rings in contact, especially those in gold or metal in general. In that case, reading may fail. Another precaution is to not use the Tapster ring in certain situations, such as heavy work or weight lifting and this is because if the surface in contact with the NFC antennas were to break, the product could be compromised.
SECURITY
Having said that, a nice situation is when you pay with the ring, making the various merchants who are not yet used to seeing these forms of payment speechless. They saw watches but not rings and asked you about them. But what happens if we lose the ring? From the Tapster application it is possible to pause payments without having to have the ring with you, but you can also remove the associated cards, while if we lose the smartphone, then from another device you simply have to install the app again and proceed with the login. Finally, you have nothing to fear in terms of payment security, as everything is guaranteed by the partnership with Fidesmo.
PROJECTED IMPACT
Tapster's smart ring equipped with NFC for payments is sold at the price of €99 in ceramic or wood variants or €199 in silver, but you can get a €20 discount using the promotional code HELLO20, dedicated precisely to the Italian public. So for €79 shipping included, on the official website, you can get a comfortable and elegant gadget to make payments without the use of smartwatches, physical cards or smartphones. Ideal, for example, as a gift to a child or an elderly person, who may perhaps get confused with the physical cards or lose them, but the Tapster solution is also ideal for all those who want to remain light and free from tech gadgets during their walks, without give up the possibility of making purchases. Thanks to Curve you can associate all your credit cards but above all you never have to top up the ring, which makes it eternal. Super recommended.
