Keeping track of your wallet can be a royal pain in the you-know-what. Whether it accidentally slips out of your gym shorts or you forget to throw it in your bag before you leave, knowing where your bi-fold or cash clip is at all times can be next to impossible. Luckily, third-party trackers from brands like Tile have provided a solution, with various cards and tags you can use to essentially “chip” your wallet and locate it whenever you need.
Apple’s AirTags have proven to be some of the most popular accessories when it comes to tracking your everyday items, and now that the company’s Find My network has opened up to third parties, we’re starting to see new companies develop trackers of their own that rely on the same app you use to locate your iPad or MacBook.
Nomad, the famed Apple accessory maker known for killer leather cases and Apple Watch bands, has jumped on the bandwagon with the Tracking Card, which syncs with your Apple account and lets you find your wallet through the Find My app.
The Nomad Tracking Card is a sleek and reliable AirTag alternative that slides into your wallet just like a credit card would.
Price and availability
The Tracking Card from Nomad is available now at Nomad’s website. It costs $40, which is a bit more expensive than a single AirTag, but given all that it can do (plus its perfect size for your wallet), it’s well worth the investment. It’s worth noting that, as of this writing, the Tracking Card is on back order and will start shipping by August.
Easy to use, easy to track
The idea behind the Tracking Card is simple: make tracking your wallet as simple as adding another credit card to your wallet’s compartments. The card itself isn’t very big at all; it has the same height and width as a credit card, and it’s only about two credit cards thick. It’ll fit perfectly well in almost any wallet you can think of, including Nomad’s own Card Wallet Plus that I have.
The design of the card is actually pretty cool. It highlights the internals of the card on the outside to give it some character, letting you peek in and see where the NFC chip and charging coils are (more on that later). When you take the card out of the packaging, there’s a sticker that tells you to press and hold the pairing button to initiate setup. Once you do that, open the Find My app on your iPhone, add a new device, and it’ll locate the card as “Nomad Card.” Give it a new name, add an emoji or profile photo, and you’ll be good to go.
Since it uses the Find My network, you can track the card like you would any other Apple device you own. There aren’t any ultra-wideband capabilities, however, so you can’t use your iPhone 15 to guide you directly to where your wallet is. Still, you’ll be able to see exactly where you left it and even let it play a chime to make it easier to find.
What’s more, Nomad gave the Tracking Card an IPX7 rating, which means it’s safe to dunk into a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. That’s ideal not just for these long summer days spent by the pool, but also times when you drop your wallet in a puddle or pay for something while it’s raining.
A five-month battery life with MagSafe charging
Nomad supplies a rechargeable battery in the Tracking Card that can last up to five months on a full charge. For comparison, an AirTag can last a year with a new battery, while the Tile Slim can last up to three years on its non-replaceable, non-rechargeable battery. There’s no USB-C port to recharge it; instead, the card supports Qi wireless charging, so you can plop it down on any wireless charger you have on deck to juice it back up.
It also works with MagSafe charging. You can take the puck you usually slap to the back of your iPhone and set your Tracking Card on it to start charging. In addition, since there’s enough metal in the card to maintain a connection, you can even use standing MagSafe chargers like Nomad’s Stand.
Notably, there are zero magnets in the card, and it won’t damage any of your credit cards.
At $40, the Tracking Card is an easy accessory to recommend. While it’s not as affordable as an AirTag, the addition of key specs like wireless charging and a slim profile make it a great gift for anyone who still carries around a physical wallet, or a solid addition to your own everyday carry.