Airtel Payments Bank partners with Noise and Mastercard to launch a smartwatch with NFC payments

Airtel Payments Bank has announced its partnership with Noise, a homegrown wearables brand, and Mastercard to facilitate contactless payments. Users can make payments between Re. 1 to Rs. 25,000 per day by tapping the smartwatch on Point of Sale (POS) machines.

Ganesh Ananthanarayanan, COO of Airtel Payments Bank, said, “Urban digital customers now have a seamless solution for on-the-go digital payments through our partnership with Noise and Mastercard. The Airtel Payments Bank Smart Watch revolutionizes how customers engage in contactless payments, offering unparalleled convenience. With this innovation, customers can effortlessly make transactions without the hassle of carrying extra cards or using their phones for small payments.”

“At Noise, innovation is our driving force, guiding us to constantly meet evolving consumer needs. We are thrilled to partner with Airtel Payments Bank. It marks a significant stride in redefining the smart wearable experience, exemplifying our potential to disrupt and bring forth yet another industry-forward innovation: Tap and Pay functionality in smartwatches. Through the Tap and Pay functionality powered by NFC chips on the Mastercard network, we aim to simplify the payment process and enhance convenience by unlocking a new way for users to interact with their devices,” said Amit Khatri, Co-founder of Noise.

Gautam Aggarwal, Division President, South Asia at Mastercard, said, Contactless technology is a digital catalyst for a new set of consumer experiences. Mastercard has been partnering with the world’s leading global brands in the wearable segment to bring contactless payments to life. The company is delighted to collaborate with Airtel Payments Bank and Noise to jointly power the launch of this innovative smart watch, which will act as a comprehensive lifestyle solution. Backed by Mastercard’s promise of safe and secure transactions, it will provide users with an enhanced and secure payment experience.”

Airtel Payments Bank smartwatch specifications

The Airtel Payments Bank smartwatch features a 1.85-inch square dial with up to 550 nits of brightness. The smartwatch offers up to 150 cloud-based watch faces for customization and supports 130 sports modes. Furthermore, it includes an NFC chip supported by the Mastercard network for making contactless payments.

Health features include blood oxygen level (SpO2) monitoring, heart rate monitoring, and stress monitoring. The smartwatch is said to deliver up to 10 days of battery life on a single charge. Moreover, it is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.

Availability

The Airtel Payments Bank smartwatch is available to purchase for Rs. 2,999 via the Airtel Thanks App. It comes in Black, Blue, and Grey color options. Customers who do not have the Airtel Payments Bank account can open a new bank account and order the smartwatch. After linking the smartwatch with Airtel Payments Bank, users can make payments by tapping the watch on Point of Sale (POS) machines.