A hardware wallet you wear lives a harder life than one that sits in a drawer. It goes to the gym, the beach and the kitchen sink. So before you spend $320 on a Tangem Ring, or once one is on your finger, it’s fair to ask what happens if it stops working.
Tangem Ring Warranty NZ
This guide explains the Tangem Ring warranty in NZ: what Tangem covers, what New Zealand consumer law adds on top, and what to do if your ring fails. It also covers the part most warranty pages skip. No warranty can bring back your crypto. Your backup cards can.
The short answer
Tangem backs the Tangem Ring with a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty. If you buy it from a New Zealand seller, you also have rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act. Neither covers the crypto itself. That’s protected by the two backup cards that come with the ring.
In practice, you have three layers of protection:
- Tangem’s warranty for hardware faults in the ring.
- NZ consumer law for goods that aren’t of acceptable quality, claimed through the seller.
- Your backup cards, which give you full access to the same wallet if the ring is lost, stolen or damaged.
The first two can replace a faulty ring. Only the third keeps you in control of your funds.
What Tangem’s 25-year warranty means
Tangem describes its cover as a 25-year limited hardware warranty. It’s designed for hardware faults: a ring that stops working under normal use. It isn’t insurance against loss, theft or mistakes, and like any limited warranty, it comes with conditions.
Warranty vs “built to last 25 years”
Tangem makes two related but different claims. The first is design life: Tangem says its chips are built to last at least 25 years with proper care and to sign an unlimited number of transactions. The second is the warranty: a promise to deal with hardware that fails within that period.
The ring helps here. It has no battery, screen or buttons. It’s a chip and an antenna, powered by your phone’s NFC when you tap it. With fewer parts to wear out, there are fewer ways for it to fail.
What’s likely covered
A hardware warranty covers faults in the product itself. For the Tangem Ring, that means problems such as:
- The chip no longer responding when tapped, despite correct positioning
- A manufacturing defect in the ring or its NFC antenna
- The Tangem app failing to read a ring that hasn’t been misused
According to Tangem’s policy, defective items are replaced after the team has inspected the product and approved the claim.
What isn’t covered
Some situations aren’t hardware faults, so no warranty will cover them:
- Losing the ring, or having it stolen. There’s no fault to fix.
- A forgotten access code. This isn’t a hardware problem. You can reset the code using one of your backup cards.
- Crypto lost through scams, wrong addresses or sending to the wrong network. The warranty covers the device, not transactions.
Accidental damage, such as a crushed or cracked ring, is a grey area. Tangem doesn’t publish a detailed list of exclusions that we could find, so contact support with photos and your order details rather than assuming either way.
A warranty replaces the ring, not your wallet
A replacement ring is a new, blank device. It can’t contain your existing private key, because Tangem’s chips are designed so keys can’t be exported or copied after setup. What keeps your crypto accessible is the backup cards in your set, not the warranty.
This is the most misunderstood part of Tangem ownership, so it’s worth spelling out.
When you set up a Tangem Ring, the key is created on the chip and copied securely to the two cards in the box during setup. After that, the ring and both cards are equal keys to the same wallet. Tangem’s own help centre says losing your ring is the same as losing one of your cards.
So if your ring fails, this is what actually happens:
- Your funds are still on the blockchain. They were never stored on the ring.
- Your backup cards still open the wallet. Tap either card and you’re back in.
- A warranty replacement starts fresh. It won’t hold your old key, so you’d set it up as a new wallet and transfer your funds across.
If you created your wallet with an app-generated seed phrase instead of hardware-generated keys, you have one more recovery route: you can restore the wallet from the phrase. Tangem’s default setup is seedless, though, and if that’s how you set yours up, the backup cards are essential.
Our take: treat the warranty as a nice extra, not your safety net. Store your two backup cards in separate, secure places, such as one at home and one with a trusted family member or in a safe deposit box. If you lose the ring and both cards, no warranty, retailer or Tangem itself can restore access.
Your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act
If you buy a Tangem Ring from a New Zealand business, the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) gives you rights that sit alongside Tangem’s warranty. Goods must be of acceptable quality, which includes being durable. A seller can’t contract out of these guarantees when selling to consumers.
For a Tangem Ring bought in NZ, that means:
- Acceptable quality. The ring should work as expected, be free of defects and last as long as a reasonable buyer would expect. For a product marketed with a long design life, that expectation is a high bar.
- Matching the description. The ring should match what you were told about it when you bought it, including size and what’s in the box.
- Remedies through the seller. If the ring fails, your first point of contact is the business that sold it to you. Depending on the problem, the remedy may be a repair, a replacement or a refund.
- Importers have obligations too. When a manufacturer has no place of business in New Zealand, the CGA treats the NZ importer as the manufacturer for certain claims.
The manufacturer’s warranty doesn’t replace any of this. You can rely on whichever gives you the better outcome.
This is general information, not legal advice. For a specific dispute, Consumer Protection (consumerprotection.govt.nz) and Consumer NZ both publish plain-English guides to your rights.
Warranty vs Consumer Guarantees Act vs returns policy
Three different protections can apply to a Tangem Ring bought in New Zealand. Each one is provided by someone different, lasts a different length of time and covers a different problem. The table shows which to use when.
| Tangem warranty | Consumer Guarantees Act | Seller’s returns policy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provided by | Tangem, the manufacturer | NZ law, enforced through the seller | The business you bought from |
| How long | 25 years (limited) | As long as a reasonable buyer would expect the ring to last | A short window set by the seller |
| Covers | Hardware faults under normal use | Goods not of acceptable quality, not matching the description, or not fit for purpose | Usually change of mind or wrong size, often only before activation |
| Doesn’t cover | Loss, theft, transactions | Damage caused by misuse, or change of mind | Activated or used devices, in most cases |
| Best used for | A ring that stops working years after purchase | A fault, especially in the early years | A ring that doesn’t fit |
| Who to contact | The seller, or Tangem support | The seller | The seller |
For most problems, the simplest path is the same: contact the business you bought the ring from, with your order number and a description of the issue.
What to do if your Tangem Ring stops working
Many “broken ring” problems turn out to be phone or positioning issues, so start there. If a backup card still works, your wallet is safe and only the ring needs attention. Then contact the seller with your order details.
- Check your phone first. Make sure NFC is switched on (on Android it can be turned off in settings). Remove thick or metal phone cases, and tap the ring where your phone’s NFC antenna sits: usually near the top on iPhones and the centre of the back on most Android phones. Hold it still for a couple of seconds.
- Try a second phone. If the ring works on another phone, the problem is your device, not the ring.
- Test a backup card. If a card opens your wallet, your funds are accessible and only the ring is affected.
- Decide whether to move your funds. If you’re now down to two working devices, or one, consider setting up a new Tangem set and transferring your crypto to it. That restores a full set of backups.
- Contact the seller. Share your order number, phone model, a description of what happens when you tap, and photos if there’s visible damage.
- Never share your access code or seed phrase. Genuine support will never ask for them. Anyone who does is attempting a scam.
Ring-specific care and sizing
One of the most common avoidable problems with a Tangem Ring is the wrong size, not a fault. Measure carefully before you activate the ring, because returns for fit are usually limited to unused, unactivated devices. After that, a little everyday care keeps it working for years.
Get the size right first
The Tangem Ring comes in US sizes 6 to 13 and is about 8 mm wide. A wider band fits more snugly than a thin one, so if you’re between sizes, it’s usually safer to go up.
Before you buy:
- Measure the finger you’ll actually wear it on, at the end of the day when fingers are slightly larger
- Use Tangem’s ring-sizing guide rather than guessing from another ring
- Remember that NZ jewellers often use letter sizes, so convert to US sizing before ordering
If it doesn’t fit, ask about a return before you set it up. Once the ring is activated, it holds your wallet key, and most sellers won’t accept it back.
Everyday care
- Take it off for heavy work. Lifting weights, building and gardening can expose it to knocks and crushing.
- Keep it away from strong impacts. The chip is protected inside the ring, but a hard enough knock can damage any jewellery.
- Don’t rely on it alone. Check your backup cards once or twice a year by tapping them in the app.
And if someone taps your ring while you’re wearing it? They still need your access code to do anything with your wallet.
Buying in NZ vs overseas, and why it matters for warranty
Where you buy your Tangem Ring affects how easy it is to use your protections. A New Zealand seller is covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act and can handle claims locally. An overseas marketplace seller may be harder to reach, and it’s harder to tell whether the device is genuine and unused.
| NZ seller | Overseas marketplace | |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer Guarantees Act | Applies to NZ businesses selling to consumers | Harder to enforce against an offshore seller |
| Who handles a claim | A local business, in NZ hours | An overseas seller, possibly with international return shipping |
| Pricing | NZD, GST included | Foreign currency, plus possible GST and shipping costs |
| Device condition | New, sealed stock | Risk of used, resold or counterfeit devices |
Never use a ring that’s already been set up. A Tangem device should arrive new and be activated by you. If a ring or card is already initialised when it arrives, don’t put funds on it. The Tangem app also checks the authenticity of the chip when you scan it, which helps catch counterfeits.
Whichever seller you choose, keep your order confirmation. It’s your proof of purchase for any warranty or CGA claim.
FAQs
Does the Tangem Ring have a warranty in NZ?
Yes. Tangem offers a 25-year limited hardware warranty on the ring. If you buy from a New Zealand business, you’re also covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act, which applies alongside the manufacturer’s warranty.
What happens if my Tangem Ring breaks?
Your crypto stays safe on the blockchain, and you can access it with either of your backup cards. Contact the seller about a warranty claim. A replacement ring will be a new device, so you’d set it up and move your funds across.
Is losing my Tangem Ring covered by warranty?
No. Loss and theft aren’t hardware faults, so the warranty doesn’t apply. Your backup cards still open your wallet, and anyone who finds the ring would need your access code to use it.
Can I return a Tangem Ring if it doesn’t fit?
Usually, yes, if it hasn’t been activated. Check the size before you set it up, and contact the seller about their returns window. Once activated, most sellers won’t accept a change-of-mind return.
Will a replacement ring restore my crypto?
Not on its own. Tangem keys can’t be copied onto a new device, so a replacement starts as a blank wallet. Your backup cards, or a seed phrase if you set one up, are what restore access to your funds.
How long does a Tangem Ring last?
Tangem says its devices are built to last at least 25 years with proper care. The ring has no battery or moving parts and is powered by your phone’s NFC only when you tap it.
Buy with local support behind you
A 25-year warranty is reassuring, but your backup cards and the seller you buy from matter just as much. Buy new, sealed stock from a seller you can reach, and store your cards somewhere safe.
Shop the Tangem Ring and Tangem Wallet card sets at Tangem NZ, priced in NZD including GST, with local shipping and NZ-based support. Already own a ring and have a question about it? Get in touch with our team, and we’ll help you work out the next step.
