Fitbit Pay in Austria: My experience

Fitbit Pay has now been available in Austria for a few weeks. I took a closer look and used it in everyday lifeprobeers. Here I want to tell about my experience.

Fitbit Pay: requirements

On a Fitbit website you can see which banks are included in Fitbit Pay. There are currently two in number, namely Revolut and boon from Wirecard for Android, iOS and iPadOS. At first glance that may not seem like much, but boon can be used with any bank. Simply transfer the desired credit and it will appear in boon for free use. Incidentally, this not only works with Fitbit, but also for Apple Pay, Google Pay and Garmin Pay.

To use the payment service, the wearable must also have an NFC chip so that communication with the bank terminal can take place. You can find one in the Fitbit Ionic (Adidas Edition), in Fitbit versa Special Edition, in the Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition and in the Fitbit Versa 2. So practically all models of the manufacturer are compatible with the service.

Equipment

Setup couldn't be easier.

A new item "Wallet" appears in the settings for the connected device in the Fitbit app. All transactions will be managed there later. The setup starts with setting a PIN for the watch. This is always queried when you take the watch off. Means that no stranger can pay with your Fitbit if it is lying around somewhere. I would like to say a few more things later on the subject of “security”.

Picture: TechnikNews

This is followed by the step of entering the credit card details. In my case, I found this in the boon app. Then all you have to do is specify a billing address - that's it. After a short waiting screen, you can start using Fitbit's payment service.

Payment

Paying with the watch is always very reliable and quick. In principle, it works wherever contactless payments can be made with an EC card, as the same technology, including NFC, is used here. To start Fitbit Pay, press the left side button for about two seconds. With the Fitbit Versa 2, Alexa may then start. Then you can find Pay in the notification center. You can also put the service on the button on the side via the clock settings.

When this step is checked, the actual payment can begin. All that was needed for me was a wave of the hand in the direction of the terminal. Then the watch vibrated briefly and a few seconds later the confirmation appeared on the payment device. You can then see the transaction in the Fitbit app. A connection to the smartphone is not even necessary to pay, as long as the fitness smartwatch knows from the last synchronization that there is enough credit available.

Security aspect

I was often asked by relatives and friends whether the whole thing was safe. I always answered yes to this question, with the following reasons:

• As already written before, you have to set a PIN code before the first setup. This is always requested when the Fitbit watch has been put down and needs to be operated. This means that it is not possible for a stranger to take the watch and use it to buy something - the PIN code is in between.
• There is an option in the app to remove the virtual credit card. If the watch has been stolen, all it takes is a tap of the finger so that the card is completely separated from the watch.

Fitbit Pay: Conclusion

Fitbit Pay is here and it's working as it should. I really enjoyed using the service as everything works as it should. Starting with the setup up to the simple and fast payment. I also think it's good how you thought about security so that your own money is well protected. I will definitely keep using Fitbit Pay. For the future, however, I would like more banks to jump on the bandwagon.

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