Best 2024 Smartwatches for contactless payments

#1 Garmin Enduro 3
5.0

Contactless payments were strongly praised by reviewers who used Garmin Pay frequently and treated it as part of daily use.

Pros: contactless payments, reliability

Cons: onboard music storage, watch face quality

#2 Apple Watch Ultra 2
5.0

Contactless payments were praised as part of Apple’s top-tier smartwatch services and general usability advantage.

Pros: app ecosystem, smartwatch features

Cons: cross-platform compatibility, blood oxygen tracking

#3 Apple Watch Series 10
4.6

Contactless payments were strongly praised for speed and convenience, especially in daily routines and transit-like scenarios.

Pros: reliability, comfort

Cons: calorie tracking usefulness, mapping and navigation

#4 OnePlus Watch 2R
4.5

Contactless payments were positively received as a useful Google Wallet feature.

Pros: software smoothness, charging speed

Cons: ECG functionality, safety features

#5 Ticwatch Pro 5 Enduro
4.5

Google Wallet/contactless payments worked well in reviewer use and were repeatedly treated as a solid smartwatch convenience.

Pros: menu navigation, battery life

Cons: ECG functionality, voice assistant quality

#6 Google Pixel Watch 3
4.3

Contactless payments were lightly but positively supported, with reviewers noting prompt Google Pay/Wallet access and broad support among key smartwatch features.

Pros: outdoor visibility, pairing reliability

Cons: calorie tracking usefulness, materials quality

#7 Garmin Lily 2 Active
4.0

Garmin Pay is considered useful and easy to set up, though one reviewer notes its value drops if a phone is still needed for music.

Pros: health tracking accuracy, blood oxygen tracking

Cons: ECG functionality, onboard music storage

#8 Garmin Fenix 8
4.0

Contactless payments were counted as part of Garmin’s complete smartwatch-tool package in the supporting review.

Pros: workout tracking variety, onboard music storage

Cons: LTE connectivity, value for money

#9 Garmin Forerunner 165
4.0

Garmin Pay was viewed as a straightforward, effective contactless payment feature.

Pros: smartphone notifications, watch face quality

Cons: music controls, Wi-Fi connectivity

#10 Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
3.9

Payments are useful and bundled into the smartwatch experience, but one reviewer disliked being pushed toward Samsung Wallet instead of their preferred wallet.

Pros: display quality, durability

Cons: cross-platform compatibility, antioxidant index

#11 Xiaomi Watch 2
3.9

Contactless payments worked well and were convenient, but the required screen lock was an annoyance.

Pros: charging speed, Bluetooth connectivity

Cons: ECG functionality, recovery insights

#12 Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024)
3.8

Payments were useful and reliable in the positive evidence, though one reviewer found PIN friction annoying.

Pros: build quality, software smoothness

Cons: stress tracking, blood oxygen tracking

#13 Samsung Galaxy Watch FE
3.5

Contactless payments worked as a modern feature set, but the shortcut behavior created a usability annoyance for Google Wallet users.

Pros: materials quality, workout tracking variety

Cons: size options, cross-platform compatibility

#14 Garmin Lily 2
3.1

Garmin Pay is considered useful, but its value depends heavily on bank support and is limited in some regions.

Pros: pairing reliability, wellness insights

Cons: ECG functionality, body temperature tracking

#15 Fitbit Ace LTE
2.3

Contactless payments are a mixed area: one review noted tap-to-pay was not active yet, while another found vendor support limited.

Pros: operating system experience, watch face quality

Cons: app ecosystem, third-party app support

#16 Amazfit T-Rex 3
2.1

Contactless payments were a common weak spot due to Curve, regional limits, missing support, or setup failures.

Pros: resume later function, brightness

Cons: safety features, activity auto-detection

#17 CMF Watch Pro 2
1.5

Contactless payments were a clear missing feature, with reviewers repeatedly flagging absent NFC or mobile payments as a compromise.

Pros: pairing reliability, materials quality

Cons: data privacy, health tracking accuracy

#18 Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5
1.5

Contactless payments are a clear limitation because global reviewers repeatedly noted the lack of NFC payment support.

Pros: step counting accuracy, display quality

Cons: voice assistant quality, contactless payments

#19 Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 Lite
1.5

Contactless payments were a clear miss in the evidence because a reviewer specifically called out the lack of payment support.

Pros: cross-platform compatibility, pairing reliability

Cons: third-party app support, contactless payments

#20 Polar Vantage M3
1.0

Contactless payments are absent and reviewers frame that as a meaningful limitation at this price.

Pros: brightness, display quality

Cons: call handling, voice assistant quality

#21 Coros Pace Pro
1.0

Contactless payments were a clear weakness because reviewers repeatedly noted the lack of Garmin Pay, Apple Pay, or NFC payments.

Pros: outdoor visibility, display quality

Cons: contactless payments, flashlight usefulness

#22 Polar Grit X2 Pro
1.0

Reviewers criticized the lack of native NFC/contactless payment support.

Pros: recovery insights, build quality

Cons: contactless payments, onboard music storage

#23 Suunto Race S
1.0

Contactless payments were clearly treated as missing in one review, making this a low-scoring feature for users who expect payments on-wrist.

Pros: workout tracking variety, value for money

Cons: blood oxygen tracking, contactless payments

#24 Xiaomi Redmi 5 Active
1.0

Contactless payments were a clear miss because the reviewer explicitly lamented their absence.

Pros: wellness insights, Bluetooth connectivity

Cons: contactless payments, third-party app support