Barclaycard bPay offer a proprietary range of NFC enabled payment devices – a wristband, fob, sticker and loop – which enable you to pay anywhere you see the contactless logo. At worst case, a sticker on the back of your mobile phone will turn it into a contactless device.
Now they have signed two new partnerships which will see their bPay payment technology embedded into high street jewellery and watch brands.
They have partnered with the DCK Group which will see bPay integrated inot their range of ‘Tutch’ jewellery. and Tappy Technologies who will embed payments functionality into watches. Through agreements with a diverse range of fashion brands, Tappy will bring the ease, speed and convenience of contactless payments to watches available in retailers across the UK.
Prior to bPay, Barclaycard offered PayTag stickers which were largely superseded by bPay in 2015.
Contactless payments are fantastic, but still have their problems. Having to onehandedly extract a contactless credit or debit card from your wallet whilst rushing for the underground is a pain. It’s easier to use your mobile phone, but even here many contactless wallets want you to authenticate (or at least open the app) before you can pay.
Devices such as jewellery or a watch should hopefully be much easier to use, although I probably would recommend a ring over a necklace – bending down to touch your neck against the contactless PDQ isn’t going to be the most dignifying way to pay.
