Quontic Bank Tests Consumer Enthusiasm for a Payment Ring
On Monday, Quontic Bank began offering customers an unassuming black band embedded with contactless payment technology that they can use at point-of-sale terminals. Such devices exist in other countries. Visa introduced near field communication-enabled rings for Olympic athletes in 2016; the London-based Kerv emerged in 2017 from a Kickstarter campaign; a bank in Australia rolled out the Halo ring in 2018. Some ring-makers advertise availability in the U.S. But Quontic, a $916 million-asset community development financial institution in New York City, says it is the first financial institution to offer one in this country. Will consumers take to a debit card disguised as jewelry when they can already pay by hovering their cards, smartphones, fitness trackers or smartwatches above a contactless terminal?