fitbit pay read errors

[gt28031]

Having some issues with fitbit pay that I haven't seen anyone else mention, just checking if anyone else has had the same problem before I contact support. 

I added card (BOFA) with no issue, when I hold left button card displays and says hold near reader, the vending machines I've tried in a couple of different locations return an error of either "card read error" or "bad swipe" fitbit vibrates and displays a check mark, but transaction never completes, I've tried numerous position hold positions around the reader, with same result. Android pay works just fine on the same machines directly after fiddling with the fitbit. 

Any conformation of someone seeing the same, or self service advice would be appreciated. Going to try making it to a McDonalds to confirm it's an issue with my setup or device, but something about purchasing McD's with a fitbit seems very wrong 🙂

[Angryionicowner]

Mine has broken 3 months into ownership! I cannot even load a Credit Card onto Fitbit pay now! The idiots at fit**ahem** tried to pin the blame on me initially, saying it was due to me not downloading the latest firmware! I told them it was a hardware issue & they would not even take that into consideration!

now they want me to return the broken one before they send me out a replacement! Apparently I am dealing with the highest authority overseas....what a joke! They won’t allow me to send it back to the Australian Distributor for replacement & I have now been 

informed by the courier company they use for returns that their return consignment note will not be accepted due to the fact that Fitbit have not disclosed the lithium battery contents correctly on the consignment note which is apparently an international requirement! This company is **ahem**ed! There is no customer support in Australia & they are refusing to replace the broken piece of **ahem** o have until such time as they have receipt that the return is in transit with DHL!!!! I can’t even get the **ahem**er picked up because of fit**ahem**s non compliance with delivery consignment transit laws!!!!

[JaDaRed]

Mine does the same thing. I will be curious to see what FitBit says about the issue.  I can use FitBit Pay to buy snacks out of one of our vending machines, but I cannot get it to work on either of the soda machines.  

[Colinm39]

I'm finding that some of the retailers have out dated equipment and I was getting the errors on the same machines. I have about a 1% failure rate now and maybe because we don'y have many banks in Australia and our 4 largest banks all offered Fitbit Pay.  Hence, the retailers have upgraded.

About 700 Tap and Pay later all is well even on OS2.. Of the 1%, I device had 2 that were seen as a "hot card" by the bank and blamed transmission issues..

[Mpetersen]

I have had the exact same problem. I use Google pay right behind trying the Fitbit pay and it worked just fine. Fitbit pay worked at alfalfas but not at sprouts or natural grocers. This is a big deal for me since I shop at these places constantly.

[S1930]

I have started to notice the same issues with my Versa and Fitbit pay.  It has worked fine at many stores, but Quik Trip (major midwestern gas stations) it works about 50% of the time.  That tells me that it will work there, so there isn't a compatibility issue.  But sometimes (like today) it vibrates the watch, and then the Quik Trip card reader says something like "Service not accepted" or sometimes it will say "Card read error".  Sometimes it will say something about a chip error.  My guess is that the watch is causing the read errors.  I'll try to test this theory by using Fitbit pay from the phone when the watch fails, and I'll get a video of the failure (if there aren't too many angry people in line).  So far, only Quik Trip has caused this error for me and not 100% of the time.  Google pay from my Pixel 2 XL has never failed after hundreds of Quik Trip wireless purchases.

My McDonald's purchase this morning worked just fine from my Fitbit Versa.  And yes, I felt the irony of it all. 🙂

[Colinm39]

I have found that it has to be an issue with the readers in the stores.. One store I use frequently, they have three checkouts, my Fitbit Pay will never work on one of them, but will work on the other two..  The failed reader always works with my tap Visa card.

Some of the other stores I frequent, have upgraded are now using a tablet for their tap and pay and I have not had one failure.. The retailer tells me the same thing.. Their only failures are with the dialup communication link.

I probably average 150 taps a month and it's always the same store readers that fail.  Those that have upgraded I have no issues. Those that fail, the retailer tell me it's an issue, and one of the stores recently a lady was paying with her Apple watch and that failed as mine did on the same reader... Cards were OK..

[Avajayne03]

Yes my Fitbit pay won't work either at vending machines or it didn't work at Dunkin donuts very disappointed but can't find anwsers to fix the problem

[tiniree]

Same here! Worked on my iPhone for 6 months until I changed my number. Uninstalled/reinstalled and it worked for a few days. Now getting same error message.