Swatch and Visa launch NFC payment smartwatch

Swatch has announced that its new Bellamy smartwatch will enable contactless payments using NFC technology, with Visa as the partner for the new platform.

NFC Payments in the US, Switzerland, and Brazil

In an official statement, Swatch, the largest Swiss watchmaker, emphasized that contactless payments via the new smartwatch will initially be available to users in the United States, Switzerland, and Brazil. However, according to the announcement, global availability is expected by 2016.

Price and Availability of Swatch Bellamy

Swatch unveiled the NFC-enabled Bellamy watch in October and will launch it in China in the coming months at a price of approximately 91 USD (about EUR 210).

The Swatch Bellamy is a new watch model featuring an embedded chip that supports wireless NFC technology. The manufacturer claims that users will be able to make payments quickly without needing a smartphone or contactless card. The watch is priced at slightly over 90 Swiss francs (about EUR 91), though the exact amount has not yet been specified.

NFC Payments in the US, Switzerland, and Brazil

Origin of the Name Bellamy

The name of the new watch model from Swatch is derived from Edward Bellamy, who in 1888 wrote the novel "Looking Backward 2000-1887". In the story, he envisioned a utopian society where people used credit and payment cards instead of cash.

Summary

Swatch has partnered with Visa to enable contactless NFC payments through the Bellamy smartwatch. Initially available in the United States, Switzerland, and Brazil, the service is expected to expand globally by 2016.

The NFC-enabled watch allows payments without a smartphone or contactless card. It will be available in China in the coming months for about 91 USD (EUR 210), and in Switzerland for slightly over 90 CHF (EUR 91). The model's name references Edward Bellamy, the author of an 1888 novel that depicted a world paying by card instead of cash.