Garanti Bank issues PayPass-enabled wristwatch in Turkey

Apparently, even swipeless credit cards are too much of an inconvenience to carry around in Turkey, or else Garanti Bank and MasterCard are just doing a fine job of whispering PayPass into those ears that are now tuned in. Gimmick or not, the two firms have partnered up to dole out a few limited edition timepieces that not only sport embedded PayPass modules to skip the painful John Hancock procedure altogether on basic, low-dollar purchases, but also feature a flashy and surprisingly tawdry motif. The bright orange watch rocks a few soccer balls, er, footballs on the face, and also includes a handy date feature to keep you on track. No word on exactly how one would go about procuring one of these contactless payment watches, but if your Garanti account is pushing six or seven figures, we'd say you've got some leverage.

[Via TechDigest]

[Paris K @ May 20th 2007 8:35AM]

I hope we aren't forced to wear ugly watches in the future when cards will be obsolete.

[Samuel McConnell @ May 20th 2007 8:47AM]

It's ugly, but you know, it makes so much more sense than contactless credit cards. With PayPass cards, you still have to get out your wallet and your card - why not just swipe the damn thing? But with the PayPass on your wrist, that makes it more convinient than that. Kudos on them actually figuring this out. No thanks for me, though, till I can have it embedded in my wrist.

[Craig @ May 20th 2007 8:54AM]

If they offered a way to integrate this technology into existing wristwatches, so that people can, you know, continue to wear the watch of their choice, then they'd really have something.

Unlike Samuel (above), I'd probably not opt to have the pay device embedded in my wrist.

[Blackster @ May 20th 2007 9:04AM]

yeah embedded next to the homeland security rfid-chip?

try it on a watch to youre own liking, like an addon. that would be better!

[Jorge @ May 20th 2007 9:12AM]

This isn't new. The Hong Kong mass transit system that uses the rfid card for payment had rfid embedded into watches since 1998. One time they partner with swatch to design the watch.

[Aras @ May 20th 2007 9:31AM]

This is only one style it comes in, you can have it in black which actually looks good with a suit.

[John Train @ May 20th 2007 10:12AM]

Pretty soon people will be too lazy to wear wristwatches. When that time comes, the PayPass chips will be embedded in their forehead or their right arm along with a few numbers. I hop that done doesn't come in my lifetime.

[Zorque @ May 20th 2007 9:36PM]

Awesome. Now when you lose your watch at the gym, you lose your identity.

[TJ @ May 21st 2007 1:01AM]

I can imagine waiting in line next to the counter behind other people with your hand on the counter PAYING for other people's stuff!

[Triston @ May 21st 2007 3:05PM]

They best get the logos off the watch. Style is everything. Wait, isn't the watch market suffering? Why not put the technology inside ipods, phones, etc? Well, mastercard is on the quest to get everyone to use credit cards so they can enjoy all the profits the interchange fee brings in. I work along side the Merchants Payment Coalition and you would not believe how much the card companies are making off of interchange...about $30 billion a year! It looks like the profit is going to make watches of all things. ugh.