FNB lets South Africans pay for groceries with their watch

Fitbit Pay is now available in South Africa.

The wireless payments service which works through Fitbit’s range of wearable devices is now compatible with FNB and RMB VISA bank cards.

“Customers will now be able to make secure payments on the go, directly from their wrist wherever contactless payments are accepted — adding convenience and freedom to leave their smartphone and wallet at home,” writes Fitbit in a statement.

Fitbit Pay is only available on two of the company’s watches, namely the Versa and the Ionic.

To use the service, consumers are required to connect their cards to the Fitbit app on their smartphones. Users then tap the watch to an FNB Pay-supported terminal to make payment. The system makes use of NFC, so terminals that usually support contactless cards and smartphones should work.

“This latest offering complements a number of our digital solutions that enable customers to conveniently make payments without the need for carrying a physical card or cash,” explains Jason Viljoen, FNB’s head of digital payments.

“It further aligns to our ongoing strategy to migrate customers to digital channels where we continuously provide them with innovative and customer-centric solutions that meet a diverse range of needs.”

Notably, the bank also announced support for Garmin Pay, which allows users with Garmin devices to pay for items wirelessly and without cards.

Feature image: supplied/Fitbit