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When you think of the items one generally keeps in their wallet, the ones that come to mind are credit cards, coins, paper receipts, and perhaps a picture of a loved one. However, traditional wallets are becoming less common, with the rise of minimalism replacing them with sleek, metallic alternatives like RFID-blocking wallets. Some may even prefer an iPhone wallet case that attaches via MagSafe to reduce clutter, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up utility. Whether you still carry a traditional wallet or have switched to a modern money clip, there wallet-sized gadgets will make your wallet more functional.

The concept of wallet-sized tech is all about maximizing efficiency without adding extra bulk. We live in an era where microchips and ultra-thin batteries allow manufacturers to pack a lot of utility into spaces less than a few millimeters thick. These miniature devices are built to slip into a credit card slot, so they eliminate the need to carry extra accessories. We’ve aimed to include gadgets that one can use every single day, or ones that can come in handy during emergencies.

The peace of mind that comes with tracking devices used to be reserved for large items like bags and keys, primarily because the hardware required to locate objects was bigger. Early generations of Bluetooth trackers were chunky, since they were specifically designed for keyrings. AirTags, despite having a tiny footprint, are thick and bulky, so you can’t stuff them into your wallet. Fortunately, the evolution of flexible circuitry and thin batteries has given rise to a new category — dedicated wallet trackers. These devices are made in the shape of a standard credit card, allowing them to slide into a card slot in your wallet.

The Ugreen FineTrack wallet tracker measures just 0.07 inches in thickness and integrates directly with the Apple Find My network. The biggest factor that sets it apart from other trackers is that it has a rechargeable battery. A single charge lasts for a year, and you just have to plug it in for a couple of hours to charge it back up. Notably, the Ugreen FineTrack only works with iPhones, since it links to Apple’s Find My network. If you leave your wallet behind at a coffee shop or a park, the network relays its coordinates back to your phone, so you can track it. It also features a built-in speaker that helps you locate your wallet when it slips between the couch cushions or hides under a pile of clothes.

Losing a wallet is a miserable experience that involves freezing bank accounts, replacing your driver’s license, and, of course, losing cash. The Ugreen FineTrack gives you peace of mind while being super affordable at just $20.

We have all been in situations where we suddenly need a source of light in the dark. Perhaps you dropped your keys under a dark car seat, need to read a restaurant menu in a dimly lit room, or encounter a sudden power outage in your house. While almost every modern smartphone comes equipped with a built-in flashlight, they can be too bright for certain situations. It may disturb those around you, especially in a public space. This is where a dedicated emergency pocket light, like the Inovat foldable LED pocket lamp, becomes a nice accessory to carry in your wallet.

These lights use flat surface-mount LEDs combined with button-cell batteries embedded directly into the plastic card, making them portable. The foldable lights have a flipping mechanism that completes the circuit when opened. It costs just $10 for a pack of 10, and come in different colors. The brand bundles it with five additional cells for backup. Unlike traditional flashlights, the Innovat lights have a built-in stand, so you can place them on your desk or on the tray table on a plane when you’re reading or typing in the dark.

USB flash drives or thumb drives are generally found in one standard shape and size — they are the size of a human thumb, hence the name. While their size is what makes them extremely easy to carry around, you will still have to store them in a bag, backpack, or a pocket. And if you forget to carry them, you don’t have access to your data. If, instead, you use a USB drive that can fit into your wallet, the chances of forgetting it become extremely slim, since you probably carry your wallet with you everywhere. The Bilious USB flash drive has been designed to fit in a card slot in your wallet. Additionally, the Bilious drive is made entirely using metal, so it feels premium.

Despite being extremely slim, you get 64 GB of onboard storage, which is good enough to store important files, documents, and photos that you may need to access in a jiffy. The mechanism is quite smart. The USB connector folds into the card when not in use. When you need to plug the drive into a computer, simply unfold the connector and insert it into a USB port. As per the brand, this USB drive is also waterproof, but we wouldn’t recommend taking it anywhere near water unless you have a backup of your data. You get two USB drives for $20, which seems like a fair bargain, considering the form factor. Notably, these are USB 2.0 drives, so don’t expect lightning fast speeds when copying data.

Business cards used to be a huge deal a few years ago. People would carry a few in their wallets to hand out to people they met at events, meetings, and social gatherings. After all, it was a brief introduction to your profession and line of work, along with basic details such as name, phone number, office address, etc. With time, though, the concept of physical business cards started becoming less relevant as work life social media like LinkedIn became more popular. If you still wish to share your business card with others, you may want to switch to a digital one like the Dot Thin. As the name suggests, this tiny card lets you share your contacts with other with a simple tap or scan.

The way it works is that you either store the card in your wallet, just the way you would store a standard business card, or stick it onto the back of your smartphone. Once you program the contents of the card by setting up a Dot profile, the card will be ready to be shared with others. Dot uses NFC, so all you have to do is display the card to someone, and they can tap their smartphone on it. The phone will then display your profile on an internet browser. For phones that don’t have NFC, the brand has also included a printed QR code on the card, so anyone can scan it with a phone camera. For $30, it’s an excellent investment if you share your contact details with lots of people.

To fit on this list, a gadget needed to fit into a wallet, just like a standard credit card can. Once we had a list of possible picks, we looked for gadgets that are useful or give you peace of mind in everyday life. While we’ve personally used a few of these gadgets, we also relied on the user reviews left on storefronts to shortlist the items.