THE COOL WAY TO PAY

Time to pay! Whether it is settling an account or indulging in a little retail therapy, an easier solution is only a wrist away. With SWATCH PAY, Chinese debit and credit cards are conquered by contactless technology, avoiding hassle and saving time.

Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek presented SWATCH PAY, the second generation of its contactless payment system at a dedicated press conference at the landmark Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai. As a testament to their enhanced collaboration, Swatch and China UnionPay announced a partnership to bring SWATCH PAY to the Chinese market with strong support of eleven leading Chinese banks.

Combining exciting, colorful and functional Swatch design, the new and improved SWATCH PAY features four models that seamlessly blend innovation and flair. This second generation introduces brand new technology, featuring China UnionPay’s cloud-based payment solution that replaces both physical debit and credit cards. After purchase of SWATCH PAY, only an in-store app download and scan is required to instantly activate the watch. The tokenization process takes just a few minutes, and customers can start paying with the watch.

“Swatch has been a pioneer in contactless technology since 1993 with introduction of Swatch Access. Now it’s logical to be a pioneer with regard to bank cards as well. We are very happy about launching SWATCH PAY”, said Nick Hayek, CEO of the Swatch Group.

From July 27, 2017 onward, SWATCH PAY will be available at designated Swatch stores in 28 Chinese cities. Enthusiasts can use their watches to pay for purchases in shops and stores around the country using merchants' contactless POS terminals with a China UnionPay QuickPass icon. To celebrate the upcoming launch of the new SWATCH PAY in China, a series of welcome rewards will be granted to the user.

The inspiration for this innovative Swatch is American writer Edward Bellamy, who envisioned a utopian world in which cash had been replaced by credit cards back in 1888. Originally launched as SWATCH BELLAMY payment system in 2015, it uses no energy from the watch and requires no additional network support - just a simple wave of the hand is all it takes. In today’s busy world, time is precious - so isn’t it time for SWATCH PAY!?