For American fans of Amazfit smartwatches, the long wait for convenient, on-wrist payments might finally be over. Evidence is mounting that Zepp Pay, the popular contactless payment system already enjoyed by users across Europe, could be preparing for its official debut in the United States.
The discovery was made by an eagle-eyed user on Reddit, who noticed that the United States has been quietly added as a selectable region within the Zepp app's payment setup menu. This tantalizing clue has sparked excitement within the Amazfit community, suggesting that a stateside launch may be just around the corner.
What is Zepp Pay?
For the uninitiated, Zepp Pay is Amazfit's answer to payment systems like Apple Pay and Google Pay, but built directly for their ecosystem of wearables. Leveraging standard NFC technology, it allows you to leave your wallet at home and pay for purchases with a simple tap of your compatible Amazfit watch.
The system is designed for flexibility, reportedly allowing users to link up to eight different bank cards or accounts simultaneously. This makes it easy to switch between a personal debit card, a credit card for rewards, or a business account without needing to pull out your phone.
Currently, this functionality is a key selling point for Amazfit watches in European markets like the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Spain. It's available on popular and newer models such as the Amazfit Active 2 Premium, the feature-rich Amazfit Balance 2, and the rugged outdoor companion, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro.
The Reddit Discovery: A Hint of Things to Come
The first sign of movement for a US release appeared following an update to the Zepp app (version 9.14.2), which began its rollout on November 6th. While the official release notes were notoriously vague—stating only that the company had "fixed some bugs"—users digging deeper found a significant change.
A Reddit user shared a screenshot from within the updated app, showing the United States now listed as an available country for Zepp Pay. Even more telling, the listing specifically names The Bancorp Bank National Association as the supporting fintech partner. The Bancorp is a well-known player in the backend infrastructure for many digital payment solutions.
You can see the promising screenshot for yourself in this Reddit thread: Zepp Pay in the US? (Screenshot from Zepp 9.14.2).
It's important to temper immediate excitement, however. As of now, users in the US are still not able to activate Zepp Pay. The menu option appears, but the service is not yet functional, indicating that the groundwork is being laid for a future switch-on.
What This Means for Amazfit Users in the US
The inclusion of the US region and a banking partner is a clear indicator that Zepp Health, the parent company of Amazfit, is in the advanced stages of preparing the service for launch. This typically involves finalizing partnerships, ensuring regulatory compliance, and conducting backend testing.
As reported by Gadgets & Wearables, this move could significantly boost Amazfit's competitiveness in the North American market. While features like GPS, heart rate monitoring, and exceptional battery life have always been strong points, the absence of a reliable native payment solution has been a notable gap compared to rivals like Fitbit and Garmin.
For those interested in getting ahead of the curve, one of the compatible watches, the ultra-tough Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro, is already available for purchase on Amazon. You can check its current price and features here: Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro on Amazon.
The Waiting Game for an Official Word
Despite the compelling evidence, the community is still awaiting an official announcement from Zepp Health. The company has yet to confirm a specific timeline for when US users will be able to start using Zepp Pay. The silent addition in the app update suggests an announcement could be imminent, potentially aligning with a future software rollout that will "flip the switch" on the service.
For now, Amazfit enthusiasts in the US have a solid reason to be optimistic. The pieces are falling into place, and it may only be a matter of time before a tap of an Amazfit watch at the checkout counter becomes a reality.
