Are loyalty card apps safe? What to check
A loyalty-card app holds a list of who you shop with, which is worth protecting. Before you trust one, here are five things worth checking.
1. Does it need an account?
An app that makes you sign up puts your wallet on someone else's server from day one. ShowCards needs no account: your cards live on your device.
2. Where do your cards sync?
Look for sync that runs through your own cloud (iCloud or your Google account) rather than the maker's servers. That way your card data never sits in a company database.
3. Are the numbers encrypted?
Card numbers should be encrypted on the device before they are stored. ShowCards uses AES-GCM with the key held in the device's secure keystore.
4. Can you get your data back out?
A good app lets you export an encrypted backup and read it yourself. ShowCards backups can be unlocked to plain XML, JSON, CSV or Excel with a free tool on this site. No lock-in.
5. Does it build an ad profile?
Check whether your shopping list feeds advertising. ShowCards does not build an advertising profile from your wallet.
Exactly what ShowCards handles is set out in our privacy policy.