Things You No Longer Have To Lug Around In Your Wallet

Smartphones have come a long way since they were just mobile phones. They have evolved so much that they now replace many of the physical items we used to depend on. This has significantly changed our view of the conventional wallet.

Instances of carrying a big fat wallet are gone due to various digital alternatives. Whether it’s your wallet app or another phone function, here is how you can do without carrying around a real wallet.

Photos

Let’s start with the obvious – pictures. Do you remember the pocket-sized images meant to be inserted into those small plastic photo sleeves in wallets? There is no need for real photos to be carried in one’s pocket any longer thanks to cell phone cameras being introduced and developed very quickly. Just pull out your smartphone and show someone a picture today. On your camera roll, you probably have hundreds if not thousands of photos as opposed to only several that were kept in your wallet before. These digital images will never fade, get damaged or lost when saved on cloud services such as iCloud, Google Photos or Amazon Prime Photos.

Coins

Change is going extinct. Our wallets used to be full of pennies, nickels and quarters not too long ago. However nowadays, very few people use cash when making payments nowadays. The world is moving fast towards being cashless society. Since most payments are done via mobile phones or by tapping debit cards, there is no need for carrying loose change inside our wallets anymore. Even small purchases can be paid for with just a swipe or PIN code and some countries like Canada have already dropped off the penny.

Receipts

Wallets used to contain receipts ranging from retail receipts down to work-related expenses like toll fees and groceries shopping costs among others things. Many transactions had paper records then as well which was normal at that time since many transactions generated paper documents then unlike their electronic counterparts today Most stores now prefer electronic receipts which means that there is no need to carry paperwork associated with transactions that often get lost or damaged. It may result in overflowing inboxes, but it beats walking around with a little wad of crinkled receipts in your pocket. These days there are applications that allow you to take pictures and store them digitally so if you want to manage receipts for business or tax purposes, you can dump the paper copy almost immediately.

Loyalty Cards

Back in the days when people had a lot of plastic cards inside their wallets, most of these were store loyalty cards. These were cards with barcodes on them that could be scanned by cashiers for discounts or points accruals. Now we no longer need the physical loyalty cards. All your loyalty cards can be stored in Apple/Google Wallet or tied to your phone number so they’re easy to reach out for. Again, various apps like Stocard and Key Ring merge all your loyalty programs into a single app.

Contact Names and Numbers

People’s wallets used to contain folded note sheets with contacts as well as receipts just in case. The wallet might get lost or left behind somewhere, but the important part was the contact details on those paper slips. There is no need for physical contact information anymore. Your smart phone can have all the names and phone numbers that you use. You do not even have to send a text message, if you are using Siri in your phone so that it calls quickly for you—just say “Hey Siri, call Dad”—the phone will start ringing.

Credit Cards

With improved technology virtual wallets and wallet applications are becoming popular for reasons of security. This means your smartphone can make payments using an actual credit card through NFC technology. A number of retailers as well as eateries now accept virtual wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay making carrying cards unnecessary. However, certain ‘Tap to Pay’ systems may have a cap on what you can spend such that some people might still need a real ATM card if they exceed it frequently.

Coupons

A few years ago, saving money when shopping meant walking around with paper coupons in your pocket or handbag. Nowadays, we only find virtual coupons. Apps like Coupons.com, Ebates and Checkout 51 let you use coupons saved on your phone which makes it easier to coupon.

Insurance Cards

Insurance cards for vehicle, house, life, health, dental, vision coverage were used to bulk up our wallets. Today most insurance cards are digital ones due to technological advancements hence why there has been a move towards insuring vehicles online. If not then snap them using your mobile and save them in camera roll while keeping real one safely at home.

Checks

Using cheques is practically obsolete at present time across many regions globally since there are several options for making electronic payments available today while paychecks are rarely used by employers these days. For example many apps and services allow individuals to take money straight from their banks with only an email or password. As a result, things like Venmo, Cash App and Dwolla have made carrying checks unnecessary.

Business Cards

In the past, it was common for people to collect business cards at events like conferences because they were essential for networking. A traditional business card is not necessary anymore due to smartphones as all information can be saved in phone’s contact section. If you still wish to keep such cards just capture them and create a “Business Cards” folder in your photo album.

Identification

However, one must always carry some ID in their wallet such as driving license. Birth certificates or even social security numbers for instance can be kept in digital form on your phone. Therefore, keep the originals safely at home. Someone may easily steal a physical wallet; besides if somebody robs your smartphone it would be impossible for him/her to open it thus implying that all personal details would be safe.

Cash

No one carries cash any more than you carry coins or credit cards today. Low friction payments which were growing prior to the pandemic have now spread as companies and consumers reduce unnecessary interactions. Direct payment systems are moving us closer to a cashless society. Traditional wallets are mostly filled with smartphones with currency replaced by these items of technology but some small amounts of money should still be carried around, at least until we decide how we will handle total network blackouts that rarely ever happen anyway; instead, contactless payments are now used virtually everywhere nowadays—be it even buying bread from your local store or paying bus fare when going to work

The End

We inhabit a more and more digital world where things are virtually copied to make our lives easier. Although this might feel uncomfortable among some, it makes many others have lighter wallets. Embracing technology and its direction will assist you in making your life simpler and safer. One way of doing this is using a virtual wallet which can make your life easier and more convenient for you.

Sebastian Lee

Associate Writer • Social Media and Cultural Trends Writer

Sebastian creates compelling posts, topics, and reviews of social media and cultural trends to help readers on what’s in and what’s out.