It is widely reported that simply wrapping your RFID card (be it ID card or contactless payment card) in aluminum foil will protect you from e-pickpocketing, RFID hacking, skimming, or cloning. This is not a complete truth and a simple evidence based test proves the case. So, does foil block RFID?

Why is aluminum foil considered to block RFID?

Aluminum foil is a conductor of electricity. Almost any conductor blocks radio waves because radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation. Conducting materials convert waves of electromagnetic radiation into thermal energy. Electromagnetic waves that hit the conductive material are partially reflected and partially refracted. So part of the wave may be heading back to you.

Does foil block RFID, photo

RFID blocking with aluminum foil. What are the disadvantages?

So, can aluminum foil block RFID?  Aluminum foil only reduces the effectiveness of card readers and interferes with the performance of the card being read. Which is why people assume it works generally. Tin foil does not block RFID, it only prevents reading the information from long distances. It doesn’t seem to be a foolproof protection method.

Regular aluminum foil (kitchen foil) or EMC static bags etc have no specific ability to block RFID, it is not designed to do this, it is simply one of the natural characteristics of aluminum.

Alternative RFID blocking solution to using aluminum foil

For guaranteed protection, there are more effective and convenient ways than using aluminum foil. For example, there is a combination of materials that can reflect, absorb, and provide diffusion of radio frequency signals.

One of these materials is RFIDsecur ™ Composite Film from RFID Cloaked. It is manufactured into a composite film of two materials in three layers (PVC or HDPE plastic, RFIDsecur™ shielding alloy, and plastic). It blocks RFID, NFC, Contactless, Bluetooth of radio frequencies 20Khz, 100Khz, 125Khz/134Khz, 13.56Mhz signals.

This material is used to produce RFIDsecur™ Contactless Blocking Card which is specifically designed to protect your card when placed with your card, either in front or behind it. It can be used in an ID card holder case, wallet, or purse. Readers that are built to skim your card information illegally by exceeding the limits of legal readers at a distance will not work.

You can use this RFIDsecur ™ Composite Film material to make an RFID blocking wallet, sleeve, or another device yourself. Or you can buy Composite Film already made in the size of a credit card.

‘Want to get useful information about anti-skimming and RFID blocking products? Learn more →

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