UK banking giant Barclays has teamed up with seven watchmakers to bring its bPay wearable payment technology to timepieces. The companies that Barclays is now working with on the project are Guess Watches, Mondaine, Timex, Kronaby, Suunto, Adex, and LBS.
According to Finextra, Timex is now set to launch eight bPay-enabled pieces in May and Guess will work on six new watches that will have the Barclays’ wearable payment feature. Explaining how to use bPay, Barclays revealed on the website:
“Pay with your keys, your wrist, or just about anything – giving you choice of how you pay and making buying fun, fast and secure. bPay makes it a breeze to pay for anything £30 or under, wherever you see the contactless symbol. At the heart of it is a pre-paid account that links to most major credit or debit cards.”
Here’s how to use bPay.
Adam Herson, director, business development, Barclays Mobile Payments, reportedly stated:
“Whether buying a bottle of water when out for a run, or a newspaper on an afternoon stroll around the city, today’s shoppers are looking for ‘built-in’, seamless payment experiences. Our game-changing, flexible bPay chip means we can transform any traditional timepiece into a smart device – without sacrificing style.”
Finextra then noted that spending through Barclay’s bPay jumped 129% year-on-year in 2017.
