Swatch’s Bellamy watch with Visa lets you pay with just a swipe of your wrist (but it’s not a smartwatch)
First there was Oyster, and not far behind were contactless cards. Then came Apple Pay in the pay technology revolution, liberating commuters from pesky cash and flimsy tickets.
It may have put paying with something other than a ticket into the popular consciousness, but there are other (admittedly less high-profile) options for non-Apple fans seeking to streamline their travel and swipe in and out without a care in the world.
Read more: Londoners can travel for free today – here’s how
Now, Swatch is the latest.
The Swiss watchmaker has partnered with Visa to add a payment function to a new range of watches. Nope, it’s not a smartwatch. The Bellamy watch, planned for an early 2016 launch, looks just like Swatch’s range of familiar minimalist pieces, and simply adds NFC (that’s near field communication) technology for easy travel pay.
Initially, it will be available in the US, Switzerland and Brazil, but with the UK embracing new ways to pay more than most countries (we were the second market for Apple Pay after all) it can’t be too far behind.
The latest launch isn’t the only new device for paying on the go, for travel, the morning coffee or a couple of pints on a Friday.
There’s the Kerv ring, which we revealed was being crowdfunded early this year with sights set on an April 2016 launch date.
Barclays has brought us a range of different options for contactless pay, in the form of a wristband, key fob or simply a mobile sticker that can be attached to your phone.
And for anyone eyeing up something a bit more exciting, Barclays’ bPay contactless technology has partnered with Topshop to offer a more striking range of wristbands, keyrings and phone covers for the more fashion-minded.
With wearables expected to be one of 2016’s buzzwords (even more so than this year) it already looks like it’s going to bring more than one new way to pay – and it doesn’t have to be Apple.