Digital wallet app Cash App is launching a new gadget on Thursday, seemingly inspired by the social media trend which involves paying for real-world items with a tap of a homemade magic wand, which hides a tap-and-pay credit card. Now, there’s an actual stick you can buy to take part. The company’s $25 stick is part of its new line of NFC-powered tag hardware, which Cash App plans to expand to include more form factors in the coming months.
The company said its tags are linked to the Cash App Card and will work at stores compatible with Visa’s tap-to-pay platform. Tags are activated by connecting the rod hardware (pictured above) to the app and no minimum balance is required for the tag to work.
The new Cash App stick comes with a key ring that allows you to easily attach it to a bag or clip it to clothing. The gadget ostensibly allows you to make payments during times when it’s too difficult to get your phone out of your bag, such as concerts or sporting events. Of course, the real driver is that there’s something weird about tapping a stick to pay for things, especially on special occasions like birthday shopping trips, that younger users might like.
Wand users will receive instant spending notifications as they pay and can lock or unlock the tag from the app at any time. If a user misses a tag, they can use the app to disable it. The company said it also monitors fraud for payments made through tags to protect users.
“While digital wallets are invisible and physical cards are often buried in wallets, cash app tags are the exact opposite. We see a unique opportunity here to make payments visible and social for the first time,” said Thomas Templeton, Head of Hardware at Block.
The company said it plans to introduce more label types, including limited-edition drops, in the coming months before making some versions permanently available this summer.
Cash App is heavily targeting Gen Z users with this release in a move to attract younger users to the app. The Block-owned fintech introduced accounts for teenage users in 2021 and this year launched a parent-controlled debit card for children aged between six and 12.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.
