Barclays unstraps contactless wristbands

Barclaycard has stopped accepting applications for its first-generation contactless bPay wristbands ahead of a relaunch later this year.

  10 2 comments

Barclays unstraps contactless wristbands

Editorial

This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based upon its relevance and interest to our community.

Embedded chips in Barclaycard's current crop of wristbands are set to expire this month, a year after their initial launch last year.

The bands enable users to make low-value payments through the tap of a wrist at over 300,000 spots in the UK, including in shops, bars and on London's public transport system. Up to 10,000 customers are understood to have signed up for the technology.

In an e-mail notifying customers of the termination, the bank says it will launch a lighter and slimmer version of the wearable combined with a sleeker online service and new mobile app for downloading cash to the band.

Barclays says any remaining balance on bPay bands when they expires will automatically be returned to the card last used to top up.

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Comments: (2)

Jason Manning

Jason Manning International Market Manager at Barclays Corporate

I love my bPay band and cant wait to get my second generation wristband. I did the BHF London run last night and it was so liberating to not have to worry about carrying a wallet, card or oyster card.

A Finextra member 

They have some benefits granted, but know quite a few people who have had many a bad experience with writs bands, especially at festivals. They have a very short life, what with wearables growing in popularity...Though I still don't see this technology being the dominante force in payments...

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