After a prolonged legal spat last year one of Australia's big four banks has turned its back on Apple opting for a more utilitarian alternative.
A war of words broke out between Apple and some of Australia's largest banks last year and grew increasingly inflamed. Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corporation, National Australia Bank, and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank accused Apple of acting against the interests of their customers.
Apple fired back accusing the banks banks of pushing the costs of Apple Pay on to their customers, delaying the expansion of the service to 70 percent of Australian card holders.
Payments Using Garmin Smartwatch
Now The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CommBank) announced it will be allowing customers to make payments using their Garmin smartwatch when the latest devices make it to Australian shores in October. The bank has teamed with Google to offer Android Pay and will also enable payments on the go with Garmin smartwatches.
With the adult smartwatches from the American multinational starting at $299 Australian dollars the bank said the offering opens up more ways to pay for its 4.4 million customers who have taken to app-based banking. A slap back at the U.S. tech giant whose own watches come in at a considerably higher price.
For customers who use an iOS device, CommBank has offered contactless payments via an optional PayTag sticker for more than three years. Customers can use the PayTag sticker to make contactless payments up to 100 dollars by simply tapping their phone.
