Man sitting at desk, holding pen in hand, has a printed graphic in front of him and is typing on his laptop

G&D and Caixabank give away operative wristbands for contactless payments among MWC visitors

28/02/2017 Barcelona Giesecke+Devrient

Barcelona, February 28, 2017 - Giesecke & Devrient (G&D), in collaboration with CaixaBank, will distribute wearable wristbands for contactless payments among MWC 2017 attendees. The wristbands, manufactured by G&D, are lightweight, submersible and ergonomically designed.

  • These certified by Visa devices have an initial balance to be used in shops in Barcelona and worldwide
  • There will be 936 million people using this technology to make payments by 2021, and the value of transactions will exceed 471,000 million euros

They integrate a security chip based on Java technology where the CaixaBank payment application has been installed as well as an initial balance. G&D customers can verify its simplicity of use when making small payments in a great variety of shops in Barcelona. In addition, since it is a certified by Visa product, the wristbands can be used to pay in any country around the world. Its operation is similar to that of a prepaid chip card.

Apart from payments, the new wearable device can also be used as a building access control system or as a public transport card thanks to the NFC contactless technology and various mobile applications.

According to G&D, the payment business is going to undergo a strong transformation and mobile payments will experience an exponential growth in the short term. In fact, according to the company, there will be 936 million people using this technology to pay for their purchases in 2021, being the value of the transactions 471,000 million euros. That will require higher levels of security, instantaneity and ease of use in all channels.

About Giesecke & Devrient

Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is a leading international technology provider headquartered in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1852, the Group has a workforce of about 11,400 employees and generated sales of approximately EUR 2 billion in fiscal year 2015. Fifty-eight subsidiaries and joint ventures in 31 countries ensure customer proximity worldwide.

G&D develops, produces and distributes products and solutions in the payment, secure communication and identity management sectors. G&D is a technology leader in these markets and holds a strong competitive position. The Group’s customer base comprises mainly central and commercial banks, mobile network operators, business enterprises, governments and public authorities.

A black wristband from G+D in a box with a green lid
A wristband on the wrist of a person sitting at a desk

Get in touch

Christoph Lang

Head of Corporate Brand Communications and Government Relations Spokesman

Phone: +49 89 4119-2164
E-Mail: christoph.lang@gi-de.com