A MAN has gone to extreme lengths to avoid being mugged – and some people think he’s gone nuts.
TikTok user known as @paybyhand has forked out around £200 to get a contactless chip implanted in his hand.
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This allows him the freedom to pay for goods with no bank card.
A number of clips were posted to the social media site and show his progress with the chip. He shows how he went from having the surgery to paying for petrol.
The chip was implanted by UK-based start-up Walletmor, which will carry out the procedure for about £200 (€249).
It doesn’t require anaesthetic and takes around 15 minutes to “get chipped”.
You will need to download an app called iCard on your phone. This allows you to deposit money in different currencies than an ordinary bank account.
The app functions in the same way as Apple Pay. However, instead of paying with your smartphone, the chip in the hand is paired to the app.
Near Field Communication (NFC), a technology used in smartphones for contactless payment, is used by the chip.
It means the chip doesn’t use an energy source or emit radio waves but, instead, creates a magnetic field around the chip which stores a small amount of data for card readers to interact with.
Many believed it was a sign of the future.
A commentator said: “This came from cyberpunk 2077.”
Another thought: “The future.”
The chip implant did not make everyone’s money safer.
One commentator wrote: “Just hand this guy a card machine with a £1000 charge.”
Another said: “I’m gonna buy a card reader and walk past you and put it under your hand.”
A second: “All fun and fantastic till the card expires”.
PayByHand stated that the card will be void after seven years.
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