Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay, Fitbit Pay means no need to carry your wallet

LEAVING your wallet at home won’t stop you from still spending up when you’re out and about — people stop and stare at me, but this is how I do it.

LEAVING your wallet at home won’t stop you from still spending up when you’re out and about.

Many of us are armed with another fancy way to pay, whether it be using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Garmin Pay or Fitbit Pay.

This means you can “tap and go” at the checkout without the need to carry your bank card.

I’ve been using Apple Pay for months now and I’ve got to say I’m a convert.

Not having to worry about carrying cash anymore or the need to take my wallet out with me is great, there’s no chance I’ll leave it behind at the coffee shop.

I’ve even given Apple Pay via the Apple Watch a go.

This always manages to get me a few eyeballs doing a double take at the checkout.

Paying by watch is still a little odd for some people to see.

I even had one friend pay for our lunch using a payment ring and that takes the cake for being the biggest head turner.

While I’m more of a Garmin girl than an Apple Watch wearer, having the option to pay using your wrist is great.

Unfortunately my bank doesn’t offer Garmin Pay and I would need to upgrade to my third Garmin — an expensive move — to have the right watch to do this.

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A young woman running with a smartwatch that can also be used to pay.

I like to run and after completing a few races recently including Sydney’s City to Surf it was fantastic having my iPhone on me and ducking into the local store afterwards to buy what I desperately needed — a Gatorade after the race.

There's nothing worse than being sweaty and parched after a run with no money in your pocket to buy a quick drink.

So often now I don’t bother taking my wallet with me, there’s no need.

Let’s face it, most of us don’t go anywhere without our phone but this can end up being a trap as well.

It means if you can still pay with your phone there’s still the opportunity to spend.

A few times I’ve been out without any cash in tow or my wallet and I’ve managed to make little purchases using my smartphone, whether it be buying drink or a small snack that I probably wouldn’t have bought otherwise.

I’ve had a few friends too who have resisted Apple Pay until recently and have finally jumped on the bandwagon.

They love it.

The best bit is that you have to authenticate each transaction, so if someone steals my phone or device enabling it they cannot make a payment.

All transactions need a PIN, a fingerprint scan or Face ID if you have the latest iPhone X before it goes through.

This is an extra layer of security that your bank card fails to have.

@sophieelsworth

*Apple gave the writer a loan of an iPhone X and Apple Watch S3.

Originally published as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay, Fitbit Pay means no need to carry your wallet