Abstract: Contact-free cards that have at least two coupling elements spatially separated from one another such as, inductor coils, capacitors plates or photoreceivers, that utilize the effects derived from the spatial distance of the coupling elements from one another, i.e. stereo effect, is provided. The contact-free chip cards use the stereo effect to decide whether they are located within a prescribed range of a transmitter receiver. The range of the access can be reduced further, but cannot be increased beyond a fixed limit. Thus, access to the data of such cards outside this range is precluded. Such cards can additionally be equipped with means for switchable authorization of remote access. The contact-free card apparatus of the present invention further provides that it is the card itself and not the card environment that decides whether it is located in the near range of the terminal device such that it allows protectable access to its data and prohibits access from a greater distance.