You might want to consider leaving your wallet behind on sunny days if Visa’s plan works out.
The credit card company showcased a sunglasses prototype with payment capabilities at the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin on Monday. The wearable was simultaneously unveiled at the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro surf competitions in Gold Coast, Australia, CNBC reports.
The pair of shades are nearly identical to non-tech models with the exception of a tiny chip embedded on its side. To pay, a wearer removes the glasses from their face and taps them on a Visa near field communication (NFC) enabled terminal. Card swiping is not required.
“It ties back to our tagline of everywhere you want to be,” Chris Curtin, chief brand and innovation marketing officer at Visa (V), said, according to CNBC. “Without it it’s hard for us to fulfill our tagline. Our view is we take form factors that you don’t expect to be payment-enabled like sunglasses or maybe like a ring and expose to the market that maybe it can be.”
Visa is currently testing the concept to see if there is a demand in the general public. The company is also investigating whether banks or brands would consider sponsoring the product.
