Contactless Payment with Your Smartwatch: A Complete Guide

Beyond being an extension of your phone, helping improve your lifestyle, guiding you to your destination, and keeping you updated with messages, your smartwatch can also enable contactless payments. Today, contactless payment is the fastest and easiest way to pay. Many smartwatches now offer this feature, connecting to your bank’s payment app for seamless transactions—just tap your watch on a payment terminal, and it’s done in under 5 seconds. It doesn’t get simpler or more efficient!

How Does Paying with Your Smartwatch Work?

A contactless payment is an electronic transaction performed without physical contact. The payment terminal communicates with the payment method via Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC is widely used for mobile payments and also supports functions like building access cards and public transport cards.

The payment is processed through the NFC chip in your watch. NFC stands for Near Field Communication, implying within-field communication. This chip allows contactless data exchange between two devices. Simply hold your payment-enabled smartwatch near the terminal, and the transaction completes in about 3 seconds.

How to Set Up the Payment Feature

To use contactless payments with your smartwatch, you need to set it up first. The process varies by operating system. Below is a guide for setting up payment-enabled smartwatches on Apple Watch OS, Wear OS, and Fitbit OS.

Watch OS

Apple’s operating system designed for Apple Watches. Here’s how to add a card using your iPhone:

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap ‘My Watch’ > ‘Wallet & Apple Pay’.
3. If you have cards on other Apple devices or recently removed ones, tap ‘Add’ next to the card you want and enter the CVV code.
4. For other cards, tap ‘Add Card’ and follow the on-screen instructions.
5. Additional steps may be required by your card issuer to verify your identity.

Alternatively, add a card directly on your Apple Watch:

1. Open the Wallet app on your Apple Watch.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap ‘Add Card’.
3. Select ‘Apple Account’, ‘Debit or Credit Card’, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Wear OS

Google’s operating system designed for smartwatches and wearables.

To use Google Wallet on your smartwatch, meet these requirements:

• A smartwatch with Wear OS version 2.0 or higher.
• A smartwatch with NFC (Near Field Communication).
• Reside in a country or region where Pay on Wear OS is supported.
• Ensure the Google Wallet app is installed (download from the Play Store if needed).
• Use a supported payment card.

Adding a Card to Your Wear OS Smartwatch

1. Open the Google Wallet app.
2. Tap ‘Get Started’.
3. Enable screen lock.
4. Follow the instructions on your phone to add a debit or credit card.
5. This adds the card to your smartwatch’s Google Wallet, not your phone.

Fitbit OS

Fitbit’s operating system.

First, add at least one credit or debit card from a supported bank to your wallet in the Fitbit app:

1. Tap the Today tab and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap your device image, then tap Wallet.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to add a payment card. If setting up Fitbit Pay for the first time, you’ll be prompted to set a passcode.
4. After adding a card, follow the instructions to set up notifications on your phone (if not done) and complete the setup.
5. You can add multiple cards and set a default.

Making a Payment in a Store

Now it’s time to enjoy your payment-enabled smartwatch. Here’s how it works:

1. Open the Wallet app on your smartwatch and select a card or use a custom shortcut.
2. Hold your smartwatch near the contactless payment terminal until you hear a confirmation sound or feel a vibration.
3. Tap to confirm if prompted.

Voilà! Payment completed in under 5 seconds with your smartwatch.

Discover Payment-Enabled Watches

Which Banks Support Smartwatch Payments?

More banks are enabling smartwatch payments, provided you have a payment-compatible smartwatch.

Apple Watches support nearly every bank; check all banks compatible with Apple Pay. Wear OS has its own supported banks; see all banks for Wear OS payments.

Fitbit supports the following banks and cards: ABN AMRO (Maestro), Bunq, Curve, ICS, Openbank, Rabobank (Maestro), Revolut, Transferwise (Mastercard).

Garmin Pay works with ABN AMRO, Rabobank, Revolut, and ICS cards. Unsure if your bank supports contactless payments? Check your bank’s website.

Safety

With contactless payments growing, you might wonder about safety and reliability. A 2021 study by the Bank of England, Payments at the Point of Sale 2021, revealed:

Contactless payments have risen over the past two years. In 2021, UK consumers made about as many in-store payments as in 2020. Of all card transactions, contactless payments with debit cards, mobile phones, or wearables increased, with about 86% of card payments in 2021 being contactless, up from 80% in 2020.

Always check for the contactless symbol on the payment terminal’s screen or side to confirm compatibility. If absent, avoid attempting a contactless payment.

For amounts over £50, you’ll need to enter a PIN after tapping your smartwatch. For £100 in total contactless payments, a PIN is also required, deterring pickpockets from large thefts.

Safety Tips

• Report a lost or stolen smartwatch to your bank immediately. There’s no liability if someone else makes a contactless payment.
• Lower your contactless payment limit to the minimum (daily or weekly, depending on your bank).
• Disable contactless payments when unused via online banking or the app.
• Shield your hand when entering your PIN.

Smartwatches with Payment Features

Learn more about each payment-enabled smartwatch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Sports are a lifestyle with this smartwatch, offering insights into your progress and health stats. Beyond fitness tracking, it’s a payment-enabled smartwatch.

Explore Galaxy Watch 5

Apple Watch SE 2022

The Apple Watch SE 2022 lasts up to 2 days on a charge with its updated battery and is water-resistant. Learn more here. Other series models also support payments.

Discover SE 2022

Fitbit Sense

Perfect for daily use and workouts, with a new closure mechanism for quick strap changes. Check out Fitbit straps to customise your look!

Explore Fitbit Sense

Garmin Venu Sq Music

Combines daily style with lifestyle monitoring. Enjoy its 6-day battery life and payment capability.

Discover Venu Sq Music