The Cashew Fingerprint Wallet Review

It’s been a while since I’ve come across a wallet that innovates in such a unique way combining technology to create an all-purpose ‘smart wallet’ that takes features most commonly found in your smartphone and seamlessly integrates them into a wallet of the future. I’m of course talking about the Cashew wallet, a new, innovative take on the modern-day men’s wallet. 

The Cashew wallet first came into the scene back in 2016 where it launched a successful crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo raising over $80,000 in funds for the innovative wallet. From here, they quickly went on to mass-produce their wallet and eventually open up sales to the rest of the world. The inspiration behind the Cashew wallet was down to creating a wallet with better security than any other wallet on the market. 

It’s clear that the Cashew wallet took direct inspiration from the now-defunct Biometric wallet. The Biometric wallet, developed by luxury brand Dunhill, was probably the first-ever smart wallet and is still until this day, one of the only wallets ever (not including the Cashew now) to integrate a fingerprint scanner in its wallet. Unfortunately, due to the high price tag of the Dunhill (retailed at over $700), the Dunhill Biometric wallet is no longer available to purchase.

Look & Design

The first thing to mention about the design of the Cashew is its unique clamshell design. It most notably resembles a case where nothing is accessible from the outside with everything being safe and secure within the hard polycarbonate material. This plastic has a soft-touch finish and is both water-resistant and scratch-proof for peace of mind when on the move. 

Once opened the wallet has two distinct areas for storage of your stuff. The gith side is where cash can be folded in half and secure while the left side is the area for credit/debit card storage. Overall, the wallet is laid out simply and access is very easy and intuitive. 

The overall aesthetics and size of the wallet are also worth talking about. Coming in at just 11.2cm x 9.1cm x 2.8cm (l*b*h). This size is actually really small compared to other smart wallets on the market and with its entire technology being hidden within the wallet design. This is great as many smart wallets find it difficult to hide the battery or microchips within the wallet and smart wallets can easily become bulky and ugly to look at. 

Functionality & Utility 

Dubbed as one of the only fingerprint wallets on the market the main feature of this wallet, as you properly already guessed, is the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner on the very front top of the wallet. This works in very much the same way as any smartphone scanner in enabling you to keep your wallet locked and secured. 

As far as fingerprint scanners go the Cashew is very easy to use and the scanner works well with high accuracy. The setup is also very simple. All you need to do is download an application from either the Apple or Google Play Store and follow along. The setup takes less than 5 minutes and is a fantastic example of something that could be annoying or timely to set up but is designed in a way that takes as little time possible to get up and running. 

Along with the fingerprint capabilities of the wallet, the Cashew also has a few other ‘smart’ features worth mentioning. Firstly, the wallet comes with GPS Tracking which enables you to track the whereabouts of your wallet from your phone. This is shown with a Google Maps style interface where it shows the location of your wallet.

Other Features include:

Rechargeable battery: The Cashew can last up to 9 months without needing to be recharged. That’s a crazy lifespan to the point where you’ll forget the thing is even electronic. 

Buzzer: The wallet also has a ‘buzzer’ option for if you’re having a hard time finding your misplaced wallet. Simply load up the app and click ‘buzz my cashew’ and your wallet will ring to reveal its location.

Great capacity: Can hold up to 7 cards and 20 bills comfortably. 

Lightweight: Weighing only 135 grams (without any cash or cards) the wallet is very lightweight and its thinnest adds to its quality. It really feels slim in the pocket and can’t be felt easily.  

Price Tag

Considering the technology used and the smart capacities of the Cashew wallet the price tag is very reasonable especially compared to other smart wallets on the market. Coming in at between $80 – $100 the Cashew does a great job of not becoming too expensive that it’s outside the realms of possibility for many people. 

Final Verdict

The Cashew Smart wallet is one of the most innovative wallets on the market. With a clean, attractive design and the unique feature of being one of the only wallets with a lock, I find it hard not to recommend it if this feature is something you really desire. The wallet does a great job of creating a safe space for all your cash and cards in an easy to use hardy wallet. For more information on the Cashew Wallet check out their official website by clicking the link below. 

Update: June 2020

I’ve tried many times to purchase the Cashew wallet from their website since receiving mine from their Crowdfunding campaign. It seems although they still have their website up and running the wallet is no longer available to purchase. This is backed up by the fact that their social media hasn’t been active since 2018 where any links to purchasing the wallet have gone dead. It’s a shame that such an innovative fingerprint wallet has found the same fate as Dunhill Biometric Wallet. 

That being said, I’m starting to get skeptical about the authenticity of the brand in the first place. For example, on their Facebook page there is evidence of a lot of disgruntled people who purchased the Cashew and have yet to receive their wallets. That’s not to say they haven’t now received their wallets, but I always suggest being wary especially when it comes to crowdfunded backed wallets. We don’t want another case of the Volterman wallet scam on our hands.