Cash App wand gives cardholders a $25 way to turn a Cash App card into a tap-to-pay device. The pearlescent, sparkly accessory works anywhere tap-to-pay is accepted with a phone or card.
That gives Cash App users a physical payment object that can move from a wallet to a keychain-like accessory. It also pushes the service into places where tap-to-pay already works, including stores and transit.
Thomas Templeton on Cash App Tags
Thomas Templeton, Block's hardware lead, said the wand is meant to keep the payment tool “top of wallet.” He said, “At Cash App, we think payment should be just the opposite,” and added, “It should be visible. It should be fun. And social and expressive.”
Cash App Tags will eventually come in an array of shapes and sizes. The wand is the first visible step in that hardware push, and Cash App says it is a whimsical introduction to the new line.
Cash App Wand setup and use
To link the wand to a Cash App account, a user holds the device to the back of a phone. A user must register a Cash App card first, and once set up the wand works like a debit card.
The wand does not have to connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. That keeps setup tied to the card and the phone instead of to a separate wireless pairing step.
$2.85 at Muni
The reviewer used the wand to pay for coffee, Taco Bell, beer after work, and a Muni train fare. The Muni fare cost $2.85, and the reviewer said, “For just $2.85, I felt like Gandalf.”
The same reviewer said the wand was declined when they tried to buy a bag of gummy bears at a smoke shop before the card was properly set up. That failure shows the accessory still depends on the underlying card registration before it behaves like a payment device.
Cash App had already offered users free physical cards in 2017, so the wand does not replace the company’s older plastic option. It adds another form factor for people who want a more visible payment tool, but it still has to be set up correctly before it works at the register.
