If you’re interested in wearable payment technology then you’ve come to the right place. Check out 10 of the most interesting wearable payment devices that you could invest in in 2022.
Contactless payments are growing exponentially, and now lots of companies are exploring the different items we can use to conduct these contactless payments. The aim for all the best payment wearables is to offer a seamless user experience, making payments quicker and waving goodbye to the days of fumbling around in your bag/wallet/pocket for a card.
Read on to see 10 wearable payment devices to look out for this year. Some have been established for a while, and some are new kids on the block.
1. Fitbit Pay
Fitbit is not only a strong fitness tracker but also an established competitor in the wearable payments market. A nice feature of this one is that you can use multiple cards. We also love that there are so many different styles available. There is both a watch and a tracker version available, all varying in price.
Watch: $299.95
Tracker: $79.95 – $199.95
2. Cashcuff
Claims to be the ‘World’s first smart payment shirt. With some pretty wacky designs available, see ‘space invader shirt’ this is likely to be one that divides opinions. It looks like it’s one of the buttons that actually makes payments, powered via an NFC chip. Bespoke tailoring service available.
$215.87
3. Tag Heuer Connected
Possibly the most stylish option in our list, definitely the most premium. The payment function of Connected watches is powered by Google Pay and available for select countries and bank partners.
$2,150
4. Ringpay from Mclear
This ring has some pretty impressive benefits, from being able to transfer funds between rings, auto top-up, a freeze function to rewards when you buy from participating retailers. Available for both iOS and Android. Currently only available in black or white. More colour/material options must be a natural progression for this product.
$121
5. Wooden key fob
Another one from LAKSPAY. Wooden key fobs available in a variety of designs. Unlike paying with your smartphone or smartwatch, the fob never needs to be charged. You don’t have to worry about running out of battery. Presumably you would still need to get it out of the pocket or bag every time you need to pay though.
$55
6. K Ring Powered by Mastercard
Claiming to be the world’s first contactless payment ring and accepted at over 40 million retailers worldwide. We like that you can choose both the interior and exterior colour on this one.
$133
7. Apple watch series 7
One of the better-known items in wearable payment technology. Accepting payments is of course just one feature of this watch, which is powered by Apple and linked to your iPhone. A big benefit of this one is the easy set up if you’re already an apple user. Access is available to thousands of apps on the app store.
$399
8. Samsung Gear G3
The android alternative to the Apple watch. The great thing about this one is that it is accepted almost anywhere, as it will work with magnetic strip readers as well as near field communications (NFC). It’s a more traditional looking watch than the Apple series 7.
Available to pre-order now.
9. CAP2PAY
This one is, you guessed it, a cap. It also comes with a bracelet so you can move your payment chip between the two. I would be slightly concerned about losing the small chip, or even the whole cap which you would need to take off and aim at the payment machine. It does however work without a smartphone and doesn’t need charging. Also, a far more accessible price point than some of our other wearables.
$78
10. Payment implant
Claiming to be the ‘wallet of tomorrow’, Walletmor offers a payment chip that can be implanted into your arm, so you can literally pay with a flick of the wrist.
$244
The growing popularity of wearable devices of course means a demand in payments acceptance for these devices. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry news.
