How to Use Fitbit Pay on Charge 3?

[Cheryl80collier]

I haven’t got the option to have Fitbit pay (wallet app) how do I get it

Moderator Edit: Updated Subject for Clarity

[nlsshann]

It would appear that Fitbit wants purchasers to contact banks to ask for inclusion on the Fitbit pay scheme. Regardless of whether you have a Charge 3 or Charge 3 'special' edition, you would be well advised to check the list of obscure banks which have signed up to the scheme before purchase of your Fitbit. Mine was returned and refunded as unable to meet the claims of the product

[nlsshann]

It would appear that Fitbit wishes purchasers to contact banks to ask for inclusion on the Fitbit pay scheme.

Regardless of whether you have a Charge 3 or Charge 3 'special' edition, you would be well advised to check the list of obscure banks which have signed up to the scheme before purchase of your Fitbit.

Mine was returned and refunded as unable to meet the claims of the product

[Dave_Taff]

Indeed 4 banks in the UK, but none of them are actually UK banks. Smells of False advertising 

[edgewalker66]

Fitbit can't make banks participate. In Australia, every major bank is
participating.

As the Web site and promos say... Check the list of banks.

That said, it would be great if Fitbit got HSBC on board as they provide
most of the 'load and go' type cards regardless of the organisation that
might brand the card. I know I would most like to attach that type of card
so I could load a few hundred dollars and reload as needed. But there would
be a limit on exposure to only the amount you had loaded at any one time.

It would also provide a way for anyone to buy an HSBC-backed load and go
card even if their bank was not participating otherwise.

Fitbit???

[edgewalker66]

Luigt802 where are you located?  In the USA in the web store when you click on a Special Edition colour combo it shows the Fitbit Pay feature photo; it doesn't do that for the standard one.

But if you are in a different international market, both editions may have Fitbit Pay/NFC.  For example, in Australia where I am, BOTH editions have FitbitPay capability.  However, our 'standard' (e.g. lowest price version) costs the same as a Special Edition in the USA. Our 'Special Edition' (e.g. higher priced one) comes with special sport or fabric bands as well as the usual band.

All of our major banks have signed on as they already offer contactless payments for one or more of their credit cards. SO it makes sense for Fitbit to offer all Charge 3 with NFC.  We still pay  for the privilege!

[Len888]

I am also in Australia and although the 4 big banks have signed on, a large number of the small retailers are with other institutions such as Suncorp Bank and Bank of Queensland. Also AMEX have recently undertaken a push to get these smaller retailers to offer AMEX as a payment option. If these smaller retailers can't offer FitPay but do offer Google Pay, I have no option but to drag out the phone and use Google Pay.

Why does Fitbit need to reinvent the wheel? Why not just offer Google Pay and make their products available to a wider set of potential buyers? 

[edgewalker66]

Hi Len,

I might be wrong (as often happens...) but I don't think it matters one jot who the retailer's bank is. Banks only matter in allowing their particular credit cards or debit cards to be used for contactless payments - meaning they need to be comfortable with a particular device's security.

As long as there is a 'contactless payments' logo you can use your Fitbit to make the payment; same as for Apple Pay or Google Pay.  It's likely that they all want their 'name' on a service because then they are entitled to a little percentage point 'affiliate' payment from the Mastercard/Visa/AMEX transaction.  

It doesn't matter who the retailer's bank is.   They either offer contactless payments or they don't.  It all gets sorted in the big clearing house in the sky just like any other type of financial transaction.  Companies like Apple like to go one step further and have their logo in all kinds of places as it might make people think of using their Apple Watch or iPhone instead of their credit card or some other payment method.  Can you hear  Ka-ching!!!  in the background?

But it would still be easier if a universal bank provider HSBC came aboard. As explained in another post, then everyone nearly everywhere could decide to have a load-and-go card.  I know *I* like the idea of having only what I put on that debit card at risk if something goes wrong.

[Len888]

Thanks for your feedback. When I first got the Fitbit, I set it up with my Visa card from one of the 4 banks. My AMEX card which I use most of the time to get points for my overseas travel wasn't able to be used with the Fitbit. 

I tried to use the Fitbit at several shops that first week but each time it was rejected at the **ahem** terminal, I noted the financial institution displayed. Most of the time it was Suncorp but on other occasions it was Bank of Queensland. Hence my belief that the rejection was due to the underlying institution rather as it worked in other shops. From what your saying, it might be the **ahem** terminal supplier - I hadn't thought of that option.

In any case, my usual practice is now to use my phone so I can use the AMEX card.

This isn't a big deal for me as the primary purpose of the Fitbit was to monitor my heartbeat during exercise. I recently had ticker issues and need to be careful. I know there are lots of other issues with the Fitbit and I can generally circumvent them eg I have to take the Fitbit off when I sit down and read for an hour before bed otherwise it just adds an hour to my awake during sleep time and skews the stats - the Begin Sleep Now function is very limited.

However it works for the heartbeat as required. 

[edgewalker66]

Frankly, I look at my Charge 3 the same way you do; it is for other reasons that I bought it. Fitbit Pay is a nice to have. Had it existed a bit earlier this year though, it would have been super handy in Sweden where many businesses no longer accept folding money and everything is done by card even for small incidental transactions. At that time my mobile phone was Windows so no phone option for Wallet either. 

Back to your comment, I use Westpac and I read on their web site that the process for payment is different if you have one of their Mastercards or one of their Visa cards.

Did you 'navigate' to your wallet on the Charge 3 before trying to pay? You don't have to do that on the watches but  I think you have to do that on the Charge 3 and, with a Visa, you may also be prompted by the terminal for your physical card pin (not your Charge 3 pin) even on smaller transactions.  If the terminal neglects to prompt for PIN, the transaction won't happen.  So perhaps with retailers having older transaction terminals that are set to never prompt below a certain threshold, it would fail with a Visa where it would go through with a Mastercard.  

Don't know if it is the same with all of the banks' Visa and Mastercard products, but it is helpful to go your bank's web site and read their section on 'Wallets'.

Since you set it up, do you get prompted to enter your fitbit PIN every 24 hours and every time you put it back on?  It's a bit of a pain at first but I'm getting used to it.   

I think if you wait a bit you could see AMEX be available in Australia as they are on board in the USA.  

[Len888]

I hope AMEX Australia and other countries join up soon as you say. 

I'm also with Westpac but the Charge 3 doesn't ever prompt me for a PIN as you suggest but I do have to enter my PIN the 1st time I use it for banking on that day. Maybe I have a different prompt setting than you have used. But not important as most places I prefer to go allow me to use AMEX without additional surcharge so I use my Google phone anyway.

I did try the Charge again yesterday for payments and it worked at the petrol station but not at the coffee shop - only got a device not recognized message. It was an unusual **ahem** terminal so looks like you may be correct in that it's the terminal and not the financial institution preventing usage. 

Still can't make Fitbit bank offering work any better - maybe next watch. As long as the Charge 3 tracks my heart rate, I'm ok. 

[ElifG.]

I did so, but it tells me that I need to set it up on the App, but there's no wallet tab in the App for set-up

[wbch]

+1 

I bought special edition Fitbit today, download the app today (8th December 2018) and there is not Wallet tile in the mobile App dashboard. The Fitbit device keep saying please set up payments in the mobile app. 

Please advise. 

[Ricardoc888]

Close the app and reopen. That should fix it
--
Best regards,

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[edgewalker66 · Accepted solution]

wbch

if the suggestion to close and open the app again doesn't help, then you may be looking in wrong place. You mention the wallet tile doesn't show in 'the dashboard'. That is not where you find it. Go to your profile (icon looks like an index card) and you will see Charge 3 in your device list. Tap on that. You should see the Wallet tile then.

If not, what country are you in?  What mobile OS is on your phone?

[Chasetity]

Exactly.   How do you know if you have a special edition

[wbch]

Thanks edewalker66. I found `the close and open the app` solution on twitter. Tried that and it worked. It's a bit of a silly trick have to say though. 

PS: I know it's a special edition because the box say so, and the device actually shows 'fitbit pay' on the band connector (if you take the band off, you should see this) 

[Bresky55]

I hope they update the firmware soon.

[mrfudd2]

Agree with Skyrider, I purchased the special edition because it specifically stated on the fitbit site that the special edition was the only one of the two that would do wallet pay. Important to read ALL the information prior to making a purchase.

[GrandOak]

@wbch what was solution on Twitter? Please share! 🤔

[pilotgirl2809]

I have a Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition, and have set up my wallet in the app. However, holding the button for 2 seconds doesn't do anything but bring up the unlock screen. How do I get it to pay?