I need an iPhone case that will hold several cards, BUT...

November 4, 2018 7:14 PM

I currently have this one which is perfect in every way except one. The case has room for 3 cards, it's got a nifty folding bit that you can use to angle it up, it's super-strong with great protection but not gigantic.

In the wallet part I keep my drivers' license, my debit card and my work badge. Multiple times a day I try to tap my badge by just tapping the case on the reader. This does nothing except bring up the screen that says, "Use your fingerprint to pay with ApplePay."

Any ideas about a case that would read my badge correctly?

posted by bendy to Technology (6 answers total)

It sounds like your work badge uses the same NFC technology that Apple Pay uses. And they're interfering. I think you'd have to find a case that blocks the RFID stuff from the phone while letting the cards through. Since this will likely also degrade the cell reception, and some people use Apple Pay, I don't think anyone's selling these commercially. But you could try linking the card side of the case with aluminium foil and see if that improves the card reading and how badly it affects cell and wifi reception.
posted by aubilenon at 7:47 PM on November 4, 2018

Best answer: I have this case and it works with my work badge - the screen for Apple Pay comes up each time but the turnstiles open; which is the important thing.
posted by girlalex at 8:20 PM on November 4, 2018

Best answer: I've used this in the past and had the same results as girlalex did (ie, the turnstile opens and the Apple Pay came up). I moved to this one and keep my badge in the card side, which eliminates the Apple Pay issue entirely, but is a much heftier case in my pocket.
posted by neilbert at 8:57 PM on November 4, 2018

Best answer: If you don't use apple pay (or not often), can you turn of NFC in the phone settings and see if that doesn't stop the interference?
posted by sexyrobot at 9:06 PM on November 4, 2018

Response by poster: girlalex IIRC we probably use the same badge scanners.

sexyrobot I use ApplePay at least once a day.
posted by bendy at 9:24 PM on November 4, 2018

I have a JimmyCase and it works great; no issues with the badge readers.
posted by jshort at 10:02 PM on November 4, 2018