Starling Bank today announced that starting 24th October, Fitbit Pay will be available to its customers in the UK on Fitbit Ionic, a new iteration of the wearables company’s line. The bank’s customers can add their Mastercard debit card to their device, enabling them to make payments on the go directly from their wrist. Fitbit Pay targets users who may have left their wallet at home, or like to travel light. They can make purchases at stores where contactless payments are already accepted.
“Starling Bank was founded to empower consumers to take control of their money and better manage it on the move, so Fitbit Pay is a perfect partner for us as we continue in our mission to improve our customer’s financial wellbeing,”Anne Boden, founder and CEO of Starling Bank, said. “Having successfully launched other payment platforms in September, we are delighted to be the first bank in the UK to offer Fitbit Pay as we expand our work to make secure, digital payments easier for all.”
Fitbit Pay transactions have enhanced safeguards. Using an industry standard tokenisation platform, a user’s card information is never revealed or shared with merchants or Fitbit. Plus, a protected PIN is chosen by the user during device set-up for an added layer of protection.
“By working with banking institutions globally, we have the opportunity to expand our reach around the world to drive engagement with existing customers and attract new ones,”said FitBit’s Des Power. “Fitbit Pay presents an opportunity for us to bring our mission of helping people around the world get healthier to millions of people by delivering new and exciting experiences through their banking partners. Fitbit Pay delivers on this by making it easy for users to pay for items while on the go – no wallet or smartphone required.”
Fitbit Pay can be set-up on the Fitbit Ionic on the Fitbit mobile app on Android or iOS devices. Users just need to add a debit card to the Fitbit Wallet and they can make payments in thousands of stores across the UK. Users just need to press and hold the left side button until the debit or credit card is seen on the Fitbit Ionic screen, after which they hold the watch agains the payment terminal until they see confirmation on their watch screen.
