Nairobi — KCB Bank customers with Android and Garmin wearables will now be able to make contactless payment transactions, reducing purchasing time.

The new service, which is a partnership between KCB, Visa, and Thales, allows customers to make in-store payments through the KCB app by tapping their Near-Field Communication (NFC)-enabled smartphones.

Before accessing services, customers will first need to digitize their KCB Visa cards through their banking apps.

Once card credentials are registered, a cardholder can tap to pay by opening their banking app, selecting NFC payments, and tapping their phones at the point of sale before entering PINs to complete payments.

"Eliminating the need for a dedicated terminal and enabling the merchant to use their cellphone to accept card payments is revolutionary and a significant game changer within the digital payments ecosystem," KCB Bank acting Director of Retail Banking Michael Kungu said.

"Through our partnership with Thales and Visa, we are looking at supporting the financial inclusion agenda and helping businesses deliver new and best-in-class contactless consumer experiences using a device they already own: a smartphone," he added.

The popularity of digital payment solutions has been rising, with players looking for new ways to make payments efficient and faster.

"It builds on the work we have done to expand contactless payments, which has grown substantially over the last three years," Visa Kenya Country Manager Eva Ngigi-Sarwari said.

"This milestone is also indicative of the continued investment Visa is making in safe, reliable, and seamless digital payments as part of our mission to help individuals, businesses, and economies thrive."

Thales is a global leader in digital security that offers customers smooth and straight forward checkout experiences.