What is Garmin Pay?

Garmin wearables can be a little bewildering at first, especially some of the higher-end smartwatch models. The company likes to cram in as many software features as possible, to the point where it’s not always clear what everything does. It can take days or even weeks to get a full grasp on everything.

You probably have a basic sense of what Garmin Pay is — but how does it work? And more importantly, where can you use it, and which devices are supported?

Garmin

What is Garmin Pay, and how does it work?

The short version of what Garmin Pay is that it’s the company’s equivalent of Apple Pay or Google Wallet. It lets you make credit or debit payments at compatible businesses without pulling out a physical card, or even your phone. In fact, there’s no phone- or desktop-based version of Garmin Pay to speak of — it’s mostly meant to let you go for a run or breeze through a commute without worrying about whether you’ve got cash in your pocket. More on the commute part later.

You can add a card to Garmin Pay via the Garmin Connect mobile app, which syncs them securely with your watch. To make a payment, you select Wallet from your watch’s Controls menu, then enter a passcode if it’s been 24 hours since you last used Garmin Pay or you’ve taken off your watch since then. At that point, you can bring your watch near an NFC payment terminal, or switch cards first if you don’t want to use the most recently selected one.

How to set up Garmin Pay

The process is relatively easy on Garmin’s end, but could be more complicated depending on the bank(s) your cards are associated with.

1. Open the Garmin app for iPhone or Android.
2. Go to More -> Garmin Devices and select your watch.
3. Tap Garmin Pay.
4. Tap Create Your Wallet and create a passcode.
5. Follow onscreen prompts to add at least one card.
6. You’ll be prompted to verify your identity with your bank. Steps here will vary, and could involve making a phone call, so be prepared.
7. Once your card is verified, make sure your phone is synced with your watch.

Which devices support Garmin Pay?

Quite a few do. You can filter for compatibility on Garmin’s web store, but here’s what was compatible as of July 2024:

• Venu 3/3S
• vivoactive 5
• epix/epix Pro (Gen 2)
• fenix 7/7S/7X/7 Pro/7X Pro
• Forerunner 165/165 Music/265/265S/745/965
• Lily 2 Classic
• MARQ Commander/Athlete/Adventurer/Golfer/Captain/Aviator (Gen 2)
• Instinct Crossover/2/2X
• vivomove Trend/Style
• Enduro 2
• Descent Mk3i/G1/Mk2/Mk2S/Mk2i
• Approach S62/S70
• quatix 7/7X
• tactix 7
• D2 Mach 1/Mach 1 Pro/Air X10

Which banks support Garmin Pay?

The list of compatible banks is too long to share here, but Garmin maintains an active roster you can sort by region and card issuer (Visa, Mastercard, etc.). The feature is available in many countries around the world, including of course places like Australia, Canada, the US, and the UK.

Which retailers support Garmin Pay?

There’s no comprehensive list of retailers, but if Garmin Pay works in your country and a payment terminal supports other NFC standards like Apple Pay, you’re probably good to go. Look for an icon indicating wireless support.

Speaking of which, Garmin Pay can be used to pay for rides on select public transit systems. Here’s the list as of July 2024:

Australia

Canada

China (via UnionPay)

• Guangzhou Metro
• Hangzhou Metro
• Ningbo Metro
• Shenzhen Metro

Italy

• Milan — Metropolitana & Malpensa Aeroporto – (servizio ferroviario Malpensa Express)
• Firenze — Trasporto Urbano, Aeroporto Firenze (Servizio Volainbus) & The Mall Luxury outlet (servizio bus)
• Roma — Metropolitana and Fiumicino Aeroporto (servizio ferroviario Leonardo Express)
• Milan Gimignano (servizio bus)
• Torino — Aeroporto (servizio bus)

Malaysia

• Singapore — Land Transport Authority (LTA)

Taiwan

• Danhai LRT
• Kaohsiung MRT
• Taoyuan Metro

United Kingdom

United States

• Chicago
• New York City
• Portland, Oregon