Googlepay NFC without an enabled phone

[Borderer]

I have been looking at buying a smartwatch for Joe and I liked the idea of getting one with Google pay or NFC capability so that he can make payments with it. He is always forgetting to take his wallet out with him so this would help. His (android) phone doesn't have NFC. The problem is that the smartwatches with NFC are all very expensive.

I was wondering if there was an easy way to add this to a phone or smartwatch. I have been googling and found something called Pingit which might work - you can get a strap or 'loop' that fits on the strap of your watch to allow payments, but you have to have their account and top it up for it to work. That's an added complication which I would prefer to avoid.

Years ago I was in London on Halloween and saw a guy dressed as a wizard who had cut the chip out of his Oyster card and taped it to his magic wand. To go through the turnstiles he just tapped the wand on the reading plate, with a great deal of theatricality of course. This made me wonder if the same could be done with a bank card - could you cut the chip out and fit it to the strap of your smartwatch (securely of course) somehow?

Otherwise does anyone know of any other way to do this ie an alternative to the Pingit device?

https://web.pingit.com/

[ScotRoutes]

If you are ripping the chip out of a card then you don't need a Smartwatch. There would be no connection between the chip and the watch.

I have a Garmin watch with NFC and GarminPay capability but my current bank doesn't support it so you need to check what systems his bank supports.


The simplest way would, I think, be to get a cheap Smart Phone but then he might forget to take that too

Or a case for his current phone that will take a bank card.

[Borderer]

Thanks for that. Yeah I know the chip wouldn't connect to the watch but I want to get him a smartwatch for other functions and as it would be attached to him he won't be able to forget it. He just got his phone for his birthday this summer so I can't afford to replace it just yet.
He does usually have his phone with him so I did think about just taping his card to the back

[Cheeky Monkey]

... as it would be attached to him he won't be able to forget it. ...

I suspect you know you're underestimating the capacity for teenage boys to achieve the seemingly impossible

[johnnystorm]

If you don't fancy buying a new phone or watch then just get a case and pop the card in the back of it.

I wouldn't go and snip up a card to get the chip out. I wouldn't want to raise eyebrows when using it nor lose the ability to use it the old fashioned way and verify ownership with other ID.

[Scud]

I've stopped carrying cash or cards, because i thankfully can pay with iphone and apple watch...

There was a guy at one of the bike shows a few years ago, that had a company where you bought a ring with a chip in it you could pay with, cannot remember the company name, but something like this:

https://mclear.com/

https://thepaymentring.com/

[Borderer]

Thanks guys. I can't believe that there aren't more options out there or that neither of our fairly new Motorola phones do it. It seems pretty crazy that makers of android phones seem happy to let apple get so far ahead on things like this.
I hadn't found those rings, but they are horribly expensive (more than the watch!) and don't seem that cycle-friendly, though I guess a lot of people ride with a wedding ring.
I have my card in one of those cuben purses from the ultralight guy. Sometimes I can pay without taking the card out but roughly half the time it doesn't work. Maybe I will have a play at cutting a chip out on the day before the card expires I was trying to think about where I could put it so that a cyclist would always have it with them and I only came up with a helmet as the only thing I always wear. It might look a bit odd though, headbutting the terminal to pay....

[sean_iow]

Have you seen these?

https://web.pingit.com/

I've not looked into the specifics but seems much cheaper than a smart watch.

[Borderer]

Have you seen these?

https://web.pingit.com/

I've not looked into the specifics but seems much cheaper than a smart watch.

Erm, yes, I linked to them in my first post

[sean_iow]

Ops, it's off the top of the page now so I forgot about that

My new phone, Google Pixel 5, supports NFC but my current account, Barclays doesn't

I may get a pingit as I could fit the Loop to the strap of my garmin watch and I'd have a payment method when out running that doesn't require getting a card out of my rucksack.

[Borderer]

Yeah so far those loops seem like the best solution, except for the need to have a pingit account and keep it topped up. It's pretty crazy that Barclays (who run Pingit) don't offer NFC.

[sean_iow]

It's pretty crazy that Barclays (who run Pingit) don't offer NFC.

If I was being cynical I'd say they'd done that on purpose to sell more pingit stuff, they've just got £9 out of me for a loop, although not having to get a phone or wallet out when buying supplies when out riding/running is worth that, maybe

[johnnystorm]

Thanks guys. I can't believe that there aren't more options out there or that neither of our fairly new Motorola phones do it. It seems pretty crazy that makers of android phones seem happy to let apple get so far ahead on things like this.

Android phones supported NFC long before Apple offered it. Remember youre comparing phones that can cost <£100 with phones that start at £450!

Also, in China the dominant ePayment system uses qr codes that are scanned off the phone screen so do a similar job without any extra hardware requirements.

/apologies for the diversion

[johnnystorm]

Yeah so far those loops seem like the best solution, except for the need to have a pingit account and keep it topped up. It's pretty crazy that Barclays (who run Pingit) don't offer NFC.

They do, don't they?

https://www.barclays.co.uk/ways-to-bank ... ss-mobile/

[belugabob]

... as it would be attached to him he won't be able to forget it. ...

I suspect you know you're underestimating the capacity for teenage boys to achieve the seemingly impossible

Add to that, the fact that he's a weirdo, and all bets are off

[Borderer]

... as it would be attached to him he won't be able to forget it. ...

I suspect you know you're underestimating the capacity for teenage boys to achieve the seemingly impossible

Add to that, the fact that he's a weirdo, and all bets are off

Well yes, you are both right, but the watch I got him is a Amazfit bip that has a battery life of over a month. I am hoping he will agree to wearing it to bed to track his sleep, as I think he gets too much! So if my plan works he will be wearing it all the time.

[Borderer]

Also, in China the dominant ePayment system uses qr codes that are scanned off the phone screen so do a similar job without any extra hardware requirements.

/apologies for the diversion

Don't apologise, it's interesting - I had no idea.