A first for Belgium
KBC becomes first Belgian financial institution to offer payments using Garmin Pay
Tuesday, October 16, 2018 — From Tuesday 23 October, KBC, CBC and KBC Brussels customers with a payment-enabled Garmin sports watch will be able to use it to pay for purchases.
The move makes KBC the first financial institution in Belgium to offer Garmin Pay – a fast, secure, free and convenient contactless payment option for active customers. The launch adds weight to KBC’s role as pioneer in the field of payment methods and follows the bank’s introduction of Google Pay for Android users in 2017.
KBC Ireland, meanwhile, is leading the way in the Irish market, where it is the only bank to offer its customers Apple Pay, Google Pay, FitBit Pay as well as Garmin Pay.
‘The launch of Garmin Pay in Belgium is the ideal solution for KBC customers who lead an active life’, says Karin Van Hoecke, General Manager for Digital Transformation at KBC. ‘It allows a seamless connection between sport and payments: instead of having to carry cash or your bank card, your watch is all you need. There’s growing demand in Belgium for fast and secure payment solutions. People want to live efficiently, because time is precious and being able to pay easily, without fuss, really helps. As a financial institution, we want to respond to our customers’ evolving habits and we’re constantly looking for solutions. So we’re delighted to be able to expand our range of innovative payment solutions with the launch of Garmin Pay.’
KBC is able to offer this solution for the first time in Belgium thanks to the bank’s excellent collaboration not only with Garmin, but also with Mastercard. Like KBC, Mastercard likes to look ahead and both parties are constantly searching for solutions with the potential to make their customers’ lives simpler.
‘Garmin Pay means that compatible Garmin Watch users now have the freedom to leave their phone and wallet at home when they’re working out. They can use it to pay wherever their exercise schedule takes them’, explains Rudy Vander Motte, Product Manager Garmin Belux. ‘
‘We’re very proud to launch Garmin Pay in cooperation with KBC and Garmin: the first smartwatch you can use for payments in Belgium thanks to our Maestro debit product. In addition to offering a new, high-tech and user-friendly product, we’re convinced that this launch will accelerate the adoption of contactless payments in Belgium’, Henri Dewaerheijd, Country Manager Belux Mastercard, adds.
Over 90% of payment terminals in Belgium are now equipped for contactless transactions. At present, 7% of payments with KBC bank cards are made contactlessly. Contactless transactions average 16 euros and are seen as an efficient, fast and safe way to pay.
New digital solution
Garmin Pay offers customers an alternative, efficient payment method that’s ideal for use on the go. Garmin’s contactless solution allows them to pay at any merchant that accepts both contactless and Maestro. Payments are free of charge. There are also close to 20 000 registered compatible Garmin watches in Belgium.
How does it work?
Owners of a sports watch with the payment function (see Garmin for a list of supported models) can link it to their KBC Bank Card via the Garmin Connect app.
Secure
Customers can only make a payment when the payment function has been activated by entering their Garmin PIN on the watch. The PIN remains valid for a maximum of 24 hours or until the watch is taken off. Once the PIN has been entered, the user can make payments easily by accessing the pay function and then holding their watch up to the payment terminal.
Watch this video to see how easy it is to pay using a Garmin watch.
Here you can find a comparison of payment apps.
