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Swatch Bellamy Enables Pay-By-The-Wrist Contactless Payments

December 2, 2024         By: Melanie Macinas

Swiss watchmaker Swatch SA has announced a partnership with Visa—a collaboration that will make it possible for Visa cardholders in Brazil, Switzerland and the US to pay with Swatch’s new “pay-by-the-wrist” watch.

First unveiled in China in October 2015, the new Swatch Bellamy combines the brand’s exciting yet functional design with Visa’s state-of-the-art payment technology.

Swatch Bellamy can be used worldwide anywhere contactless, NFC-based Visa payments are supported, paving the way for a new era of connected commerce.

Sporting the fun, color and great design that Swatch is known for, Swatch Bellamy stays true to the DNA of the watchmaker.

The new watch incorporates a built-in NFC chip hidden under the watch’s dial and works like a prepaid bankcard allowing customers to pay for items through merchants’ contactless POS terminals.

With contactless NFC technology, high-frequency waves are used to enable communication between electronic devices over short distances, typically less than 10 minutes.

Pay-by-the-wrist transactions do not need energy from the watch itself, thus customers can expect Swatch’s usual battery life.

The new watch will become available early next year in Brazil, Switzerland and the US.

Swatch Bellamy makes a great addition to the growing list of wrist devices that offer secure payment functionalities. This just proves the increasing popularity of wearable devices and mobile payments acceptance all over the world.