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How to set up and use Fitbit Pay

How to set up and use Fitbit Pay

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If you own a Fitbit, this beats whipping out your smartphone

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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

In the mid-2010s, it seemed like every tech company launched a proprietary payment solution. Everyone from Apple and Google to Samsung, Chase, and CVS had payment apps in which you could load your credit or debit card information and use your phone to buy items from terminals that support near-field communication (NFC).

Fitbit launched its version, Fitbit Pay, back in 2017. Currently, Fitbit offers the ability to pay from your smartwatch and tracker on four of its devices: the Ionic, Versa 2 Special Edition, and Charge 3 Special Edition. In 2019, it also began partnering with select cities to let you use Fitbit Pay for public transit, including in Chicago, New York City, and Singapore.

If you want to take advantage of mobile payment from your Fitbit, here’s how to get started.

Determine if your bank is supported

This is the most crucial first step for obvious reasons. Currently, Fitbit Pay supports hundreds of major banks from around the world, but you’ll want to confirm whether your bank qualifies, especially if you are part of a credit union. Fitbit says it regularly adds new bank partnerships and to check back often. But for now, here are the countries where Fitbit Pay is supported. Take a look below, then head to the Fitbit support page to see if your bank is included.

  • United States
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Republic of Cyprus
  • Romania
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom

Set up your PIN

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You’re still reading, which means your bank is on the list! The next step is to open up the Fitbit app on your phone and tap the upper left avatar to go to your profile. Choose the device on which you want to enable Fitbit Pay (again, that’s the Versa Special Edition, Versa 2, Ionic, or Charge 3 Special Edition), and choose “Wallet.”

This should bring you to the setup page where you’ll need to set a four-digit security PIN to confirm payment transactions. You can choose to either have your Fitbit ask for a PIN only when you’re making a payment or every 24 hours / each time you take your Fitbit off. The latter is better if you often remove your Fitbit or just prefer heightened security. Think of it like reentering your passcode or lock pattern each time you open up your phone.

Add your credit / debit card

After setting up the PIN, you’ll have the option of entering a debit / credit card number or an iPASS if you’re in Taiwan. Most people will want the first option: follow the steps by entering your card information and address. Tap “Next,” and agree to Fitbit Pay’s terms of service to allow Fitbit to confirm the card’s validity.

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You can add multiple cards if you wish (a maximum of six on the Versa / Ionic and five on Charge 3) — though if you do, you’ll want to head back to the Wallet section of your Fitbit app to select the primary card that you want to use. Depending on your PIN setting, you may need to reenter it to open the Wallet setting on the app. For phones that have a fingerprint sensor, Fitbit also supports biometric logins.

Making payments

You can use Fitbit Pay with any credit card terminal that accepts NFC payment solutions. (They’re usually signified by this logo or other brands’ mobile payment logos, like Apple or Google’s.)

To pay, you either swipe down on your Versa or Ionic’s screen to find the Wallet icon or hold the left button for two seconds to bring it up on the Charge 3 SE. Select the card you want to use to pay (again, the primary one you’ve chosen will show up as the default), and hover your Fitbit over the payment terminal. (You don’t have to tap your Fitbit to the terminal; NFC works as long as the devices are about two inches apart.)

Once you receive confirmation from the terminal, your payment has been processed.

Managing your cards

If you need to review transactions, update, or remove cards from your Fitbit Pay account, just head back to the Wallet section of the app.

  • Tap the card you want to view to see recent transactions
  • Scroll to the bottom to suspend the card while you’re traveling or if you temporarily lose access to your card or the Fitbit device
  • If you need to, you can also remove the card entirely
  • From this page, you can also check out the card’s privacy policy or contact the bank that issued the card

The Wallet setting won’t show you all of the transactions made through your device, so to review everything, you should scan your bank statements if you suspect something fishy.

Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition /

Available for $214.90

Order from Amazon

Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition /

Available for $215.52

Order from Amazon

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