Block's easy-payment service Cash App has unveiled a contactless payment accessory shaped like a magic wand. Users can pay by simply tapping the tag, instead of using a smartphone or card. Some view it as an attempt to expand paying into a physical experience.

According to tech outlet TechCrunch on June 4 local time, Cash App launched a near-field communication (NFC)-based payment tag accessory. It costs $25 and is the first product in what will be an expanded lineup of tag-based payment hardware.

The product is a keyring made in a design reminiscent of a magic wand. Users can link it to a Cash App card and use it to pay at offline stores that support Visa's Tap to Pay. Once a user connects and activates the device in the app, it can be used with no separate minimum balance requirement.

Cash App sees it as particularly useful in places with lots of movement, such as concert venues or sports stadiums, where pulling out a smartphone can be inconvenient. It also reflects an intention to make payment itself a noticeable action, beyond simply improving convenience.

Thomas Templeton (토머스 템플턴), Block's head of hardware, said in a statement, "Digital wallets are invisible, and physical cards are hidden inside wallets." He added, "Cash App Tag offers the opposite experience." He also said, "I think it's a unique opportunity to make payment a visible and social act for the first time."

Security features are also included. Users can receive instant notifications every time a payment occurs and can lock or reactivate the tag through the app. It can also be remotely deactivated if it is lost. Cash App said it provides the same level of fraudulent-use monitoring for tag payments as it does for existing cards.

The industry is viewing the product not as a simple accessory launch but as a new payment hardware experiment. Cash App plans to introduce additional NFC payment tags in various forms in the coming months. Some products will be sold in limited editions, and models that get a good response are set to be converted into regular products.

The strategy also aligns with targeting younger users. Cash App introduced teen accounts in 2021, and this year it also launched a debit card for children aged 6 to 12 that includes parental controls. The tag is also seen as reflecting an intention to attract Gen Z users by combining practicality with play and a means of expressing individuality.

As digital payments increasingly evolve toward being less visible, Cash App is instead pushing payments back into a visible experience. Attention is focused on how much response it will get for trying to expand payment beyond a smartphone app into a physical tool for everyday life.

pay by magic pic.twitter.com/RWeIHSIzE0