Coin combines all your credit, debit and gift cards into one. Should they make a Windows Phone app?

This past year we’ve seen some pretty serious growth when it comes to startups developing apps for Windows Phone. Still, market share is a little north of 4% globally depending on which market analysis you go off of. There’s still plenty of work left to be done in order to attract startups that are typically short on both cash and man power. Sometimes they just need a little convincing that there’s enough interest in their upcoming service on Windows Phone.

Windows Phone community let’s meet Coin.

Coin is an upcoming device that will make your wallet a lot lighter, but in a good way. Coin is positioned to consolidate your credit cards, debit cards, reward cards, gift cards, and membership cards into one device.

Coin is launching with mobile apps for iOS and Android, but could be swayed to potentially support Windows Phone with a little push from the community. The app is integral to the Coin experience, it’s how you add, manage, and sync what cards you put on your Coin. The Coin itself can hold up to 8 cards at once in its memory, but the app on the phones can hold an unlimited number of cards. Again, the app is integral to managing the Coin when you’re out and about.

A Coin will retail for $100 when it launches in summer 2014, but there’s a limited supply of devices that are being offered at a $50 price point for those early adopters who pre-order.

Right now, Coin is looking at solid support for transactions in the United States. It’ll work in the United States and should work in most cases outside the U.S. for customers with Coin. It might not work for those overseas just yet though since it doesn’t support the EMV standard that some countries require.

Head to the FAQ section on the Coin website and you’ll see them list Android and iOS as which platforms you’ll be able to use Coin at launch. What about Windows Phone? Here’s what the FAQ says:

“We’ll keep track of demand for Windows Phone support and consider this for the future.”

Let’s help them keep track. Below you’ll find the regular place to leave comments, but don’t forget to take the poll down below. And if Coin is needing some super star Windows Phone developers, we know a few that would surely love to rise to the occasion and help this start up get going.

The app shines with Bluetooth 4.0, which is something all Nokia’s will be getting with the Lumia Black update. There’s plenty of time between now and next summer for the team at Coin to get an app ready. We just need to let them know there’s demand for an app on our platform.

Would you use Coin if there was a Windows Phone app?

You can learn more and pre-order at the Coin website.

Thanks for the tip Marcus L!

In our app? Head to m.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-8-coin-app on your browser to take the poll!

137 Comments

Yes.... just yes - make it happen.
Ok before that tell me what do you think... What happens when the waiter who you hand the card decides to change it and run u off it ? What happens when you scan someone else's card...after all how do they verify its you ? A lot of purchases ask for ID to match it with ur credit card name...what happens then ? It should be surprising how easy copying a card is rather and duplicating it.....(security) !!
The card is disabled once it leaves proximity of your phone. It won't be pair able with another device without specific credentials. So he can run, but it will be useless. You cannot add a card without physical access to the card and it must match your name. They answer these questions, take a read.
OK i think ur taking RUN as in physically run !! what i meant was...what if he changes the card (pressing the button) and charges you off another ? and its not like an unintentional press !!
Yep, this is where Bluetooth 4 comes in; the proximity.
Ok...what proximity are u talking about !! 1 step...? no...2 steps....common the waiter can change it just when he turns his back !!! think a little... what proximity now ?
Well it's been a discussion since the announcement yesterday that there's a tonne of security holes in this. One thing that was a win/loss for many was the realization that the info stored on your phone and not necessaarily the card. So perhaps I send the card, but handing it off is a dual authentication. Press the lock there, press th elock on my phone. Hand over the card. no change till I unlock.
Boy.. If everyone thought like you we wouldn't have TV, cars, computers, buildings, clothes, medicine, frozen food, radio, smartphones, factories, atm machines, planes, rockets, flash lights, electricity,.. We would have a damn thing❕.. What's wrong with you❔.. Lol❕❕❕
You forgot pizza!
Except that ... oh no, the waiter could run off with your actual card, and make purchases with it 20m away, or online in the back office, before you're even aware of it!! Maybe credit cards in general should be boycotted!
Well that wasn't my point. Anyway it seems this discussion has gone completely off track, I wont bother asking anymore. I got the initial response.
I completely agree with you..the video didn't answer the questions about the waiter hitting the button on purpose or by accident. It charges the incorrect card..
Also, what's to stop a waiter from just running off with your card today?
Exactly.
Well this makes it a lot easier. He can now just snapshot the card and clone it to coin and charge up bills.
Sam, lead the charge! Too many kingdoms lie unconquered.
You should look at their FAQ page, because most of your questions are answered there. 1. What happens when the waiter changes the card? It's designed to prevent this from happening. Again, see their site for exact wording. 2. What happens when you can someone else's card? The app would allow you to scan anyone's card, but that's not Coin's problem. It's designed specifically to allow you to do just that. The responsibility would be on the cashier or whoever handles your card. You can sign the back of the Coin like a regular card, and they should check everything like normal from there. Again, see their FAQ. 3. Lot's of purchases ask for ID. As with the above response, you can sign the Coin as you normally would, and then just show your ID like normal.
The app would allow you to scan anyone's card, but that's not Coin's problem.
ha ha !! wow how nice !!! blame coin for all thefts...</not> So when they ask for ur ID to match it with the name on ur credit card before a purchase what do u do ? Never ever have i seen someone first charging you and then asking for an ID...thats dumb !!!
Where does it say that backlashid has to use this service❔... I'll go look again...
Sarcasm doesn't always help..if u have something sensible to say...say then. This is something I am curious and wanna see how people think of it. So yeah...
Lol❕.. Sorry... Sugar cakes:-):-)
Like with anything there are holes, it is upto you if you want to use them. also a waiter could easily copy the magnetic strip and clone your card just by turning their back. So if anyone is extremely paranoid about that.. either dont dine out or carry cash or be smart and carry one card which is only used for shopping. This card is tied to a empty account into which you put in (manually or via an automated payment) what you want to spend that week. If you have a business expense card, you will have to have follow the same principle also this does I found makes reconcilation way easier as one account is just used purely for expenses. edit: just saw the vid, the way I think they can get around the button press is have it set to activate via your registered fingerprint.
Im reserving judgment until i start seeing how it behaves in the real world. paper can say just about anything. I would also like to see their security measures but im a security nut so..
I was so excited about coin when I read about it yesterday. Then I became sad when I saw it need ios or android only. I'm glad you started this poll. Lets get some support!!
Will they take a credit card payment to buy a new credit card?
I would 100% pre-order Coin today if they had WP8 support.
Same here $50 isn't bad at all for that piece of tech...but $100...thats pushing the envelope.
Battery lasts 2 years, at which point you have to purchase another unit. No thanks.
I didn't read that part either, but now I am not interested either..5 years maybe, 2 years gimmick that will likely only last 1 year like every other battery that never lives up to expectation.
make it with qi charging and boom, perfect.
You would think they would have been able to build recharging capabilities into the unit. This is a deal breaker (aside from the security issues)
Yes, there's that. Also, what's to stop a store clerk or waiter from accidentally pressing that button so that money is removed from the wrong account? I'll wait until it becomes more commonplace... a bit better and cheaper.
Yes
I would be voting yes because, quite frankly, any question phrased in the form of "Shoud ________ make a Windows Phone app?" deserves a definitive "HELL YEAH!!!"
+920!
Exactly. Any support we get is Better than none. No one should be voting no for this.
Would I like support on WP8? Yes. Am I likely to buy this thing. Nope.
This might be moot after credit cards switch to having the chips inside ...
All cards are chipped in Canada, so not much use for me. Cool idea though!
I think America is the only country not to start chipping all debit/credit cards. The UK has had chip and pin for a decade.
Indeed the UK has had Chip and Pin for a long time, the whole new contactless cards system is a hilariously flawed concept.
Bought mine yesterday! :)
I bought one too - hoping they come around on WP
I bought two yesterday!
Nice! I was hoping I could choose from the Snow variant but pre-orders are only for the midnight variant
Heck yeah I would totally use this!
I wouldn't replace my bank card with it, as I'd miss my smart chip and NFC far too much (hate swiping cards), but all the other crap / loyalty cards could easily go in a draw after being loaded onto this.
Even if I don't plan on using it, I wouldn't mind having the app just for the hell of it.
For a low, low price you too can have an easy to use card skimmer. This will probably push forward NFC and secure Sims.
That's what I was thinking. The only security they provide is that you can only scan cards you have in your possession, which is true every single time I hand my card to someone at a restaurant or store.
I follow the waiter when they take my card and watch them. It's fun. In other countries I visit (especially in Asia), they have hand held scanners for point of sale. The card never leaves your sight.
Majority of restaurants in the UK have it too, you give them your card they put your card in whilst standing in front of you, then hand you the terminal and you enter your pin and you also get a receipt on the spot.
I guess you've never heard of the terminals that get compromised. They can use it right in front of you but its tracking your card number and PIN, they just pull the data at a later time.
YES...PLEASE!
I just saw their ad this morning and wrote them as to making a Windows app. I had a Nexus S before my 1020 and its the single most thing I miss about Android...Google Wallet! Why haven't Belfiori and company stepped up to the plate and made an in-house application! David
What's wrong with the built-in Windows Phone Wallet app? You can pay with NFC.
Not in the US.
What are you talking about? I don't live in US but I still can add my debit and credit cards to Windows Phone Wallet. Its not region specific at all. Its all about sending your card information over NFC channel (simulating card swiping).
I'd like to be able to use my phones NFC at a McDonalds or any other place that has a sensor-pendant. Is there a way to do this with my 920. Would appreciate the assistance! David
^_^
If Coin can support hosting my ID/DL, then I'll be able to go from carrying two cards around in my wallet to carrying one Coin. It just isn't worth it to me.
As far as the WP app: You bet!! Why would Windows Phone folks want to be considered second (or third) class mobile citizens just because we choose a less popular operating system. I'll gladly exert energy to promote the need for a Coin app in the Windows Phone Store!!
On their FAQ it can house IDs with barcodes. The bigger concern is having someone or entity accept that as a legitimate means of identification.
Yup that is another hurdle they may not be able to solve as it would mean printing a) the card holders name on it b) displaying a person's photo of their face. They could solve that by i guess having a small screen for the name and picture but the really issue is that would it be accepting as ID given its neither endorsed by a corporate entity or bank and not the actual card itself. They have a lot of work ahead themselves if they want to make it mainstream.
I want to order it now while the price is only half what it will be at launch, but I don't want to order it and find out they decided not to support Windows 8 phones. :(
Yes, I very much want this for Windows Phone.
This will never launch. Imagine you just handed your card to the waiter who now pulls out his phone and snaps your card while he runs it for your check. He then clones it on a coin.
Or better yet, what's to stop him from snapping a picture of the front and back of your card and just using the numbers off it without buying into Coin and just buy giftcarss online with those numbers . . Oh wait then your point becomes irrelevant because its already impractical to get away with that.
mentioned some things i found as security issues on anither site and was almost crixified for it..... Many of my concerns are mirrored here.... Most importantly, if people can figure how to write to a coin outside of the coin app, then you have a portable credit card cloner/skimmer. or if you have 7 cards on the coin (max if i remember correctly) then it's essentially handing someone all 7 of your cards. imagine if they just ran off then? or skimmed ALL 7?
I know this doesn't address all your concerns, but the card does regular checkins via Bluetooth with your paired phone. If your card or phone get separated for an extended period of time (that you configure), the card automatically locks and cannot be used. Likewise, you also get an alert on your phone telling you that your card has been left behind or has not checked in so you know its missing. They've also expressed how they use heavy encryption on every aspect of the card, from the app to the Bluetooth connection, so that should very much help with card skimming.
did they mention what kind of encryption they use besides the freebe one that comes with bluetooth 4.0?
Do it!
I would pre order today if they have Windows Phone support!
Thought it was cool, then went to the site...now its just a cool idea but I'll probably never get it. Now if it let you load up store specific gift cards and then us the cash value at any merchant, that would be worth buying.
That would make them a payment processor. They don't do that and that would make PCI requirements a lot tougher for them.
Already pre-ordered this yesterday as soon as I heard about. I tweeted them a request for Windows Phone support.
Yes, they should. I'm sad to say that a device like this is enough of a convenience and game changer for my wallet and peace of mind for me to leave WP otherwise.
I don't know. ATM I'm barely 18 so I couldn't care less. But it it makes you people happy, I will support it as well.
Barely 18 and yet you are among a tiny few who know how to correctly use the phrase "couldn't care less". Kudos! :) :) :)
Better stop buying gift cards. You could go into a store and skim a few and wait for someone to load them.
Interesting... I hadn't thought of that :) I wonder if there's any authentication required when you skim a new card.
Are wallets heavy?
Yes.
There's already an app that does this called FidMe, though it is a bit buggy.
hi! can anyone help me? I bought the Lumia 925 and when I ry to sin in it says "Can't connect" ! can anyone tell me how to fix it?
Be sure your on your cellular network connection. With initial set up you can't be on WiFi just yet.
In the race to the moon NASA spent millions to make a pen that works in Zero gravity and the Russians simply used a pencil. I see the same here. Technology is great, but is not required to solve every problem. There are already loyalty card application in the store. This technology has not proven itself security wise to merit the $100. This can easily break, if my credit card falls on the floor I just pick it up. Per the website, don't drop the Coin nor get it too wet and you will need to replace the Coin every 2yrs at unspecified cost. If people really want to simplify their lives they have only two credit cards. One for online purchases only and one for physical purchases.
Thanks for being a voice of reason.
Not that I disagree with your sentiment, but read up about the space pen:
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp The benefit I see is that with a good phone case with a card sleeve, I can carry my phone and two cards (ID and coin) instead of my wallet with 2 credit cards, one debit and one ID. It's a small change, but i'd like to have nothing but my phone in my pockets in the future!
Pickpocket someone, skim their cards quickly and be all like, "Hey man you dropped your wallet." They now won't cancel and you clone with coin giving you a wider time window then a pickpocket would normally have.
Tweeted for WP8 support. You guys should do the same.
$100 to eliminate a bunch of cards I don't carry? Pass. If I had a 100 cards, IF, at $1 a card I might consider it. I don't. I have maybe a dozen, and most of them are tied to some other service like Paypal, Google Wallet, Microsoft Wallet, Square, etc. I think the idea is fantastic. I really do. But for $100, and to maintain cell phone connectivity or have it become disabled (meaning I need to retian BT on my cell phone 100% of the time and never lose battery charge for X amount of time or my card disables, thereby leaving me screwed without ANY payment system). Pass. But I will be watching closely, as I think this is an amazing start to the next type of smart debit/credit/social card. I'm aware that if I'm an early adopter I can get it for $55. I'm not going to early adopt a device that will hold all of my financial payment data, I may opt in on version 2 or 3 retail products.
I agree with you. However ,I'd argue why not NFC payments? Almost every retailer offers it (I know, resturants do not.). But with the Windows Phone Wallet integration, why would we need another device just for swipe?
That would be great... if it worked :( I haven't seen a single place I can use my phone to pay using NFC (I live in california)
Windows Phone does not support mobile payments. And it won't for some time.
This would be Awesome!!! Wish I would have thought of it. I hope we can get it over to Windows Phone!!
Its like Wallet, if everywhere accepted NFC payments.
I would not use this for credit cards. but for all those silly reward cards it would be awesome!!!
Would like to give this a spin, so casting my vote for the WP version.
"Coin is positioned to consolidate your credit cards, debit cards, reward cards, gift cards, and membership cards into one device." I have 2 debit cards, 2 credit cards, and the occasional gift card. Rewards cards are all tied to my phone number, so I never carry them with me. This seems like a hassle. And I'm supposed to pay extra for this hassle? No thanks.
regardless of how you feel about the Coin concept, it would be great if you voted "yes" to the poll. The more of these apps we get on WP, the better our platform becomes. Voting "no" is a disservice to WP more than Coin.
IF this poll was being run by the Coin folks, I would certainly vote to prosper WP. But it's not, it's run by WPC and they're asking if we would want to use it. Why would we want to be dishonest about an idea that has not been fully fleshed out, and then pay $100 for the privelige of it? Vote honestly. No thanks.
The question is "should they make an app for WP?" not whether you will use it. I don't use instagram, but yes, they definitely should make an app for WP. that's all I'm saying :)
That's not how the poll is worded. If they had asked that, I would've voted YES, because I am clearly not in the mainstream of app use or technology, and believe this product should be on WP. But the question is not worded that way. I answered that I'm not interested at this time.
I miss pageonce. Now it's called check. They should update that app for wp8.
+1000 I cannot agree with you more!
What is it you miss? I just discovered Check yesterday and converted over to it from Quicken. The Pageonce app in the store seems to work just fine with Check on my WP8 phone . The only thing I've had to use the web interface for is to pay the actual bill. I don't know what the experience was like before though.
Purchased one of these bad boys knowing that it doesn't need to be paired to a device 100% of the time and that "Coin is a standalone device." However, I sent them an email requesting a Windows Phone app as my Lumia 1020 will be receiving the Bluetooth LE support! I've noticed they've been adding more FAQs to the page. Just yesterday they didn't have ANY mentioning of a Windiows Phone app nor anything with regards to "non-device" support. Is summer here yet?
Aren't our phone's wallet supposed to do this?
It will. Once secure sim is supported by your carrier and NFC readers are at your merchant. DC metro is upgrading next year to support NFC and secure sim too. ATT you can get one now.
I'd have bought one already if it supported Windows Phone.
Don't ... Ever ... Trust ... These ... Apps ... Ever !!!
If they'd done a Windows Phone app I'd have preordered one. I've wanted something like this for a long time!
Good idea but... Visa, MasterCard and American Express are requiring the conversion to EMV in 2015. So you will get limited use out of this thing. I travel overseas alot so it is kind of useless anyways. Would be cool if it supported EMV, but it wouldn't be able to since you aren't technically supposed to be able to clone those chips.
same here i live in Russia and almost all my cards are with EMV chip so Coin is just useless for me. such a pity. the idea of Coin card is so nice
Exactly, I travel mostly to SPb, Russia and it is always a pain using my magnetic strip cards. So sad the US isn't being forced off this old technology until 2015. But the idea of this sure sure is nice, though maybe NFC payments will make this obsolete sometime soon. Too hard to tell how payments of the future will play out.
Will be pre-ordering in January and I better get the WP8 app damn-it!!
For me, the point that this misses is card verification. How often do you see retailers needing to enter the last four digits of the card number or CVC for physical card verification? I think a lot of these replacement card ideas come from people who don't fully understand some of the challenges faced by merchants.
From the FAQ... "Q. What card details does the Coin display? A. The Coin's screen will display the last 4 digits of the card, the expiration date, and the CVV." I'd be more concerned about merchants refusing to accept it since there's no signature.
Bring it!!!
I pre-ordered one and tweeted a request to support Windows Phone. That said I'm not sure I'll use it for actual credit card data, maybe just for store loyalty cards that I never remember to take with me. I read thru the FAQ and I don't understand how they secure the device so that others can't switch your payment method on you (i.e. the waiter grabs the card and pushes the button that switches cards). They just say they made it hard to do accidentally. Oh well, it's like doing a kickstarter for a business you don't quite understand but think has potential.
Yes, they made it hard, but if the waiter is crook and knows the key sequence, yes, he can swipe another CC.
I would have pre-ordered already if they supported Windows Phone. I've always wanted something like this. Citi had a credit card that had similar technology but the execution wasn't so good.
Would be interested at $50
So, go ahead and pre-order - I just pre-ordered mine.
This seems like a novel idea, and support for WP will be had eventually.
Excited!
There's no question if WP should have the app.
Since ISIS says nothing about Windows Phone...sure!! Bring it on!!
I was going to pre-order when I went to their webpage yesterday, but no guarantee of WP support yet =[
I actually want that stupid Tile as an app. I keep misplacing my car keys
Yes, Yes, Yes
Ok good product but what happands with chip&pin
Definitely yes
Of course they should NOT make a windows phone app. Not having WP app shows how cool you are. If you get your WP app then you are history. I remember once there was a hot website called instagram. It is not so hot anymore...
"consider this in the future" didn't sit down well with me.. Sorry but as a new company they should be trying to reach a wider base, not make exceptions.. Heck, we need a different name for our OS cause people think we're still on WP7 days..
Is this a bit like bitcoin?
Coin Bending and electronic circuitry damaging due to the wallet will be bad. It will render the coin useless. Hopefully the coin will be as flexible as an ordinary credit card. I am a credit card freak, I like showing off my Platinum and World series credit cards at the stores. With coin there will be no show off of that kind. Although, in the start people will wonder what card is it and will be good to show off the coin. Also, stores will need to know what coin is in the first place.
It won't work for my credit cards but I would still get one if I could replace all my loyalty points cards. Eg Airmiles, However, I'd like to see a better display that can show the barcodes, numbers, etc.
I would say they should definitely make an app for it. I could definitely use it.

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