Fitbit Ionic Launch

Fitbit Ionic Launch

AUCKLAND, 4 October, 2017 – Visa congratulates Fitbit on today’s launch of Fitbit Ionic in New Zealand and looks forward to activating the payment features of the smartwatch so Kiwis have more options to pay on-the-go.

Visa will work with its banking partners to enable Fitbit Ionic for payments powered by Visa payWave and secured by Visa Token Service, which provides a new layer of security for mobile payments.

“We’re excited to enable the Fitbit Ionic for Visa payments, meaning Kiwis will soon be able to make payments with Fitbit Pay. The flexibility and convenience provided by wearable devices, such as the Fitbit Ionic, is one example of how connected devices will fundamentally change the way New Zealanders shop and pay. Using Visa’s innovations, such as tokenisation, it’s now possible to enable any device for payments. Together with our partners, we’re working to challenge today’s understanding of convenience, with the aim of creating totally seamless secure commerce experiences,” says Head of Product for Visa in New Zealand & South Pacific, Riaz Nasrabadi.

“One of the most exciting elements about this device is the way it incorporates biometrics to secure the payments functionality. Users that add a card to Fitbit Ionic will be required to enter a 4-digit passcode which then remains activated for up to 24 hours, or anytime the device is removed from their wrist. This is enabled by the device constantly monitoring for a pulse to ensure that it remains on a single person’s wrist. Essentially, the payments capability of the device is being enabled, in part, by its owner’s pulse – an excellent example of truly connected payments,” he says.

“New Zealanders have a growing appetite for payments innovation, with a recent YouGov survey revealing that nearly two thirds (65%) of Kiwis say they’re likely to try out new ways of paying for goods and services, including connected devices.1 The same survey revealed that 90 percent of people surveyed said they would use their mobile for every day purchases, with a further 25% saying they were likely to use their wearable device, such as a smart watch or fitness tracker. The way I see it, payments are quickly becoming an expectation of smart device owners – whether you’re buying a phone, watch, fitness tracker, or other such device, New Zealanders expect it to be able to be used for payments, both online and in-store,” says Nasrabadi.

1 Visa/YouGov Survey May 2017

ENDS

© Scoop Media