Xiaomi Wristband Supports Mobile Payment Enabled by Alipay

As a natural extension of contactless cards, wearable devices are increasingly targeting mobile payments. Huami, the manufacturer of Xiaomi’s hugely-popular smart fitness tracker Mi Band, has entered into a partnership with Alibaba’s payment affiliate Alipay to develop smart wristbands that incorporate mobile payment.

After connecting Mi Band with their Alipay account, wearers can make payments by placing the wearable device near an Alipay client without needing to enter a password. Acting as the means of ID verification, the wristband connects to the wearer’s phone via Bluetooth when the transaction is being made.

Regarding security concerns, the companies stated that Mi Band will use industry standard encryption to secure payments. Each device has a unique identifier and payments can only be processed only when this pairs with its pre-set Alipay account, so users don’t have to worry that others could make unauthorized payments with their Mi Band if it is lost.

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