Dive Brief:

• The launch of Apple Pay has demonstrated an appetite for contactless payments in the US, with several competitors eyeing the market as a result.

• In the UK, contactless payments rose 331 percent year-on-year last year with 319 million transactions.

• Apple and Barclaycard will go head-to-head when Apple Pay is launched in the U.K this month.

Dive Insight:

The growing popularity of contactless payments and wearables are coming together on products such as the Apple Watch and bPay wristband from UK-based Barclaycard, and more companies are poised to enter the market soon. Jawbone and American Express are reportedly working on a fitness band with support for payments, while Fitbit says it’s open to the idea as well.