Fitbit Pay UK availability

[SunsetRunner]

Why am I unable to add a card to my Fitbit Pay wallet?

Is Fitbit Pay not available in the UK yet?

Thanks.

[bbarrera]

Debit card?

[N8teGee]

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@bbarrera wrote:

Debit card?

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Yes it's a Debit card, but as it's not the main account for most of us we have to transfer funds from our main account to the Starling account. This is simple enough for me anyway. 

I'm not ready to give up my traditional bank for an app only bank just yet. It's an interesting idea but I still like the idea of local branches. 

[SunsetRunner]

Actually toppings up is very easy; just click the Apple Pay icon in the app and £50 goes from one account to the other in the blink of an eye. So, armed with money on my Ionic I’m off to the shops to try it out.

Not that the experience will be any different from using my Apple Watch but, hey, one has to play with one’s new toys. 

[N8teGee]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Actually toppings up is very easy; just click the Apple Pay icon in the app and £50 goes from one account to the other in the blink of an eye. So, armed with money on my Ionic I’m off to the shops to try it out.

Not that the experience will be any different from using my Apple Watch but, hey, one has to play with one’s new toys. 

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Unfortunately us Android users don't have that option with Android Pay for some reason. I had to set myself up as a payee in my Nationwide account, but once set up I can quickly transfer funds using the Nationwide mobile banking app. Obviously using this option also allows you to transfer less then the £50 minimum the other options have.

Yes boys and their new toys hey.... 

[SunsetRunner]

I have mine set up and still haven't used it.

Seriously though it's sort of silly imho.

Contactless payment method 1.

* Make sure phone is on and working, and charged.

* Make sure watch is on and working and charged.

* Click a number of buttons and swipe a number of screens for the wallet app on watch.

* Enter a PIN number.

* Hope it's all working.

* Tap.

Contactless payment method 2:

* Get your card out your wallet 

* Tap.

Am I missing something?

[SunsetRunner]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Am I missing something?

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Yes. I went to Morrisons and at the checkout simply lifted my wrist, held the left button until my card popped up, held next to terminal; job done.

[SunsetRunner]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Am I missing something?

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Yes. I went to Morrisons and at the checkout simply lifted my wrist, held the left button until my card popped up, held next to terminal; job done.

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You still would have to have entered in a PIN at some stage and if there are communication issues with your phone or any battery issues would have had to get your card out of your wallet.

For me it's just as quick to get the card out but it's an excellent backup.

The other annoying extra step is shifting money between accounts.

[SunsetRunner]

Only need to put the pin in once after putting the watch on. If I don’t take my watch off, I don’t need to re-enter it. And don’t need the phone anywhere near me when using the watch to pay (and I didn’t as I’d left it in the car and neither did I have my wallet).

[SunsetRunner]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

 my watch off, I don’t need to re-enter it. And don’t need the phone anywhere near me when using the watch to pay (and I didn’t as I’d left it in the car and neither did I have my wallet).

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Now that's interesting!

[N8teGee]

That's right. As @SunsetRunner says you can leave your phone at home and still use the Ionic to pay, it doesn't require a live connection, just as your contactless bank card doesn't.

I agree though, at the moment it's not so convenient for me as it's not my main bank. Once Nationwide get on board though I can see myself using this a lot more.

I think once you enter the pin it will stay authorised until you take it off or upto 24hrs. 

[SunsetRunner]

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@N8teGee wrote:

That's right. As @SunsetRunner says you can leave your phone at home and still use the Ionic to pay, it doesn't require a live connection, just as your contactless bank card doesn't.

I agree though, at the moment it's not so convenient for me as it's not my main bank. Once Nationwide get on board though I can see myself using this a lot more. 

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Well here is to hoping for Nationwide as I bank with them too, I'd be surprised if they pick it up from past experience, but fingers crossed.

[N8teGee]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

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@N8teGee wrote:

That's right. As @SunsetRunner says you can leave your phone at home and still use the Ionic to pay, it doesn't require a live connection, just as your contactless bank card doesn't.

I agree though, at the moment it's not so convenient for me as it's not my main bank. Once Nationwide get on board though I can see myself using this a lot more. 

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Well here is to hoping for Nationwide as I bank with them too, I'd be surprised if they pick it up from past experience, but fingers crossed.

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From my experience I've found Nationwide to be pretty good at adopting new tech. They were a launch bank for Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung pay, I'm hopeful they will continue the trend here. As far as I remember it is always Barclays who drag their heels, they want people to buy their bpay bands and fobs instead.

[bbarrera]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Am I missing something?

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I’ve been using NFC payments for 2+ years now with Apple Watch. Fitbit Pay has similar user experience. I typically pay within two seconds. In the US when I pull out my credit card and insert into reader, it takes 5-15 seconds before I can remove the card. NFC payment is always faster and more convenient. 

I have a Mastercard Debit card from our primary bank, it works as both ATM card and debit card. Whenever I pay for something it immediately debits from our checking account. So that feature of Starling Bank seems normal from my experience. We switched to mobile banking maybe 7 or 8 years ago. Have only walked into a bank maybe 2 or 3 times since then. We kept a (free) account with local credit union for those times when we sell something and want to deposit a large amount of cash (e.g. sold furniture, mountain bike) 

[SunsetRunner]

@bbarrera it's exactly the same as Apple Pay experience, but I've binned my apple watch, so had to open a Sarling Acc. Just glad it's all OK.

[N8teGee]

@bbarrera It must be a Mastercard thing then, interesting. All my other cards are Visa, contactless payments with those never show up instantly for me. It's not a problem though, more a case of just an interesting observation. 

[ionic-jo]

A lot of the info about when the banks in the uk, will be on board, and contactless will work with ionic, is coming from fitbit developers

But I would live to hear  a response from the banks, on how long its likely to take

[bbarrera]

@N8teGee Hmm, the amount in a debit card must be verified and deducted immediately, otherwise you could overdraw and spend more than what is available. Say you have $100 on your debit card, without immediate deduction you would be able to charge $80 and then minutes later charge $50. Right?

[N8teGee]

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@bbarrera wrote:

@N8teGee Hmm, the amount in a debit card must be verified and deducted immediately, otherwise you could overdraw and spend more than what is available. Say you have $100 on your debit card, without immediate deduction you would be able to charge $80 and then minutes later charge $50. Right?

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Ahh I see the confusion. Yes chip and pin here is handled exactly that way. What I'm talking about though is contactless, it's handled as an offline transaction here. All bank cards in the UK are chip and pin and also contactless, similar to the mobile payment systems. So if I use my bank card as a chip and pin payment the payment will be taken immediately, if I use it as a contactless payment (£30 limit per transaction) the payment takes a couple of days to show (think cheque payment). So yes in theory you could go overdrawn if you don't have the funds available in your account when then money is finally taken.

I believe contactless here was set up to be as quick and convenient as using cash, which is why it goes through as an offline payment to avoid any delays the verification process may add. 

[ionic-jo]

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@bbarrera wrote:

@N8teGee Hmm, the amount in a debit card must be verified and deducted immediately, otherwise you could overdraw and spend more than what is available. Say you have $100 on your debit card, without immediate deduction you would be able to charge $80 and then minutes later charge $50. Right?

I think I can clarify how the contactless payments work, I work in a uk-supermarket, and our transaction are done online, meaning: authorisation is done on the spot, and payment approved, and funds taken out of your account

Some places, the contactless payments are done offline, so if using contactless payment in this place, the place will deducted the amount, and at sometime go online to get all payments authorised; its these places where you card could be used fraudulently with out you know, only after the bank contact you

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[SunsetRunner]

Yep, it’s the same in the U.K. The only supported bank, at present, is a brand new start up bank. Go figure. As @MikeF says, better results may be had by chasing the banks. If they feel customer pressure, they may react quicker. (I opened an account with the brand new start up)