Visa is using the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio to push wearable payments into the mainstream, unveiling contactless watches, bracelets and rings.
With the Games less than a month away, official sponsor Visa is teaming up with Swatch to launch the Bellamy 'pay-by-the-wrist' timepiece across Brazil.
Named after 19th century American writer Edward Bellamy, who envisioned a utopian future in which cash had been replaced by payment cards, the watch is linked to a Visa prepaid card for tap and pay transactions.
Meanwhile, the Pulseira Bradesco payment bracelet from Visa, which will be available exclusively to the Brazil market in time for the Games, is sweat- and water-resistant and adjustable, and will be accepted by more around 4000 NFC-enabled POS terminals at Olympic Park.
Finally, Visa is also handing out ceramic NFC-enabled rings to favoured athletes competing in Rio this summer, enabling them to make payments around the city with a tap of the finger. An advanced prototype adds an extra layer of security with Visa Token Service, which replaces any sensitive account details from a transaction.