Google Wallet/Westpac Mastercard/FitBit Sense

[jonseymour]

I was happily using FitBit Pay with a Westpac Mastercard with my FitBit Sense since March 2022.

It just worked.

However, on Friday the FitBit app on my IPhone suggested that it would be a VERY GOOD IDEA (tm) to upgrade from FitBit Pay to Google Wallet.

What could possibly go wrong. Google is one of the most capitalised tech corporations on the planet. They employ very smart people. This link:

https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/technology/google-apps/banks?sjid=1212666700005331482-AP

suggests that indeed Westpac Mastercards are supported by FitBit devices in Australia.

What could possibly go wrong?

Corporate psychopathy could go wrong.

When Fitbit states that "Westpac Mastercards are supported by FitBit devices currently" what they actually mean is:

"When Westpac gets around to it, Google Wallet FitBit devices might be supported by Westpac at some unspecified time in the future"

What Westpac says is that "Google Wallet will be supported on FitBit devices ... soon".

"Soon" is corporate speak for, we have no **ahem**ing idea when our certification processes will be complete. We hope it will be sometime before the media gets holds of this story, but it certainly won't be in any time frame, dear naive consumer, that you might consider convenient.

My twitter thread on my own experience

https://twitter.com/jonseymour/status/1775280389650813123

Hopefully the merciless wheels of psychopathic corporate burearcracy wiill one day mesh before I decide to abandon FitBit devices for good and adopt some other device. Until then, I will need to ensure that my IPhone remains on full charge so that I can pay for stuff.

[pizzacheeks]

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From the Google themselves, "Yes. Anywhere that you find Google Pay or contactless payment logos, you can make contactless payments with a supported form of payment that you stored in Google Wallet."

So, since Westpac supports Google Pay, upgrading to Google Wallet will work for you on your Fitbit when its Fitbit Pay is sunsetted later this year.

[jonseymour]

The point of my post was:

- Westpac does not currently support Google Wallet on FitBit devices. This is confirmed by Westpac itself. Any advice appearing on the FitBit website to the contrary is simply incorrect. 
- Westpac contactless payments were working with FitBit Pay on my FitBit device
- Westpac contactless payments are no longer working on my device because FitBit issued an upgrade to the FitBit app that removed FitBit Pay and replaced it with Google Wallet - even though Google Wallet does not currently work with Westpac on FitBit devices

Perhaps you derive some comfort from the fact that  - at some unspecified point in the future - Westpac will support Google Wallet on FitBit devices but that is of precisely no use to me, who 8 days ago had a functioning contactless payment device and currently does not because FitBit decided to remove the functioning FitBit Pay app and replace it with a -- currently -- not functioning Google Wallet.

This is the point. FitBit ill-timed app upgrade and Westpac's tardy Google Wallet + FitBit device rollout has left me without a functioning contactless payment device, If you don't understand why that annoys the heck out of me, fine. 

[pizzacheeks]

Impossible as my bank in states was the exact opposite didn’t support
Fitbit pay but google wallet/pay does work. Also impossible technically.
Westpac is lying to you or more likely the support staff don’t know better.

edit more information as I was quick in my reply.  If you upgrade all Westpac is going to is view it as google pay which they support and set it up as such. There is nothing special to google wallet on Fitbit as it is standard google pay and NFC.

[jonseymour]

Rubbish.

The bank states in two places on their website:

- https://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/mobile-wallets/google-pay/
- https://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/mobile-wallets/fitbit-pay/

Westpac's customer service stated:

"Apologies for any confusion there, Jon. As mentioned above, we are currently working to enable Google Pay on Fitbit devices. This option is not currently available, however more information on this will be coming soon."

You can believe whatever fantasy you like about all banks automatically supporting Google Wallet on FitBit devices merely because they support Google Wallet on Android devices but it simply does not comport with actual reality.

Why on earth would Westpac go out of their way to publish deliberate falsehoods about their support for Google Wallet on FitBit devices? It is not currently supported - end of story.

[pizzacheeks]

Ok I see that. There is nothing westpac need to do to make google wallet on Fitbit work if they already support google pay as it is just NFC connection on Fitbits.

If I was in your shoes I would just upgrade not be surprised it works.

[jonseymour]

In this case upgrading won't help.  Westpac has supported Google Wallet on Android devices for a very long time. They have supported FitBit Pay on FitBit devices for a long time. They have yet to enable Google Wallet support for any FitBit device - it isn't the device that is the problem, it is the way the device is configured (to use Google Wallet/Pay as the payment intermediary) that Westpac does not currently support.

[pizzacheeks]

I will eat my words if I am wrong.

[pizzacheeks]

I found this link when when trying to find information for another credit card  https://developers.google.com/pay/issuers/support/fitbit-faq

This part would most interest you “

How does an issuer integrate with Google Pay on Fitbit?

• Issuers who support Google Pay have been auto enabled for support with Google Pay on Fitbit.
• Contact your network if you have any questions around supporting Google Pay on Fitbit.”

Sorry if you still don’t have your issue resolved but something fishy is going on with your bank.

[Tigist2021]

Yes you are 100% correct - Westpac tech confirmed the same to me - i.e. Westpac does not currently support Google Wallet on FitBit devices.

What a shambles.

Sadly - when you contact FitBit directly by phone they have no idea.

Now looking at Garmin- don't need the FitBit incompetence and headache. 

[pizzacheeks]

You know that is not on google/fibit at all(fact not opinion) As in my previous comment it notes if your issuer supports google pay/wallet (westpac does) then they are auto enabled with google pay/wallet on Fitbit.  This all on your bank for not having it working.  

[pizzacheeks]

PS this functionality has been available for over a year now since first came out on the sense 2. So shame on you bank.

[Chris-miffed]

So what if anything are you doing to work with Westpac to resolve the issue.  If, based on your comments, nothing, then why do you say Westpac supports this.  Why do you encourage users to upgrade to Google Wallet when for Westpac you know it doesn't work.  Tell us all how we get back to Fitbit pay that works.  Stop being smart and start being practical.

[pizzacheeks]

In my latest comments I was throwing blame at westpac because google wallet for Fitbit has been available for over a year and the bank is not compatible yet.  Also the fact that according to google’s own developer docs Fitbit support is auto enabled for google pay supported issuer like westpac. So again this is all on westpac.

[Chris-miffed]

Ok. So it's all Westpac's fault. But given you know that how do I get rid
of Google Wallet on my Sense and get Fitbit pay back. Can't be that hard
or does Google not have the knowledge to do that?

[pizzacheeks]

You don’t it’s only a one way street. I don’t know but the only thing I can think of is maybe you could create a new account for Fitbit and see if you get the Fitbit pay

[Chris-miffed]

And that's the problem.  Creating a new account would lose years of Fitbit history.  If Google knows it's a one way street and lists Westpac as compatible, they we as Users would assume that Google can be trusted when in fact it can't.  It's a total cockup.  Surely Google should would want to resolve this problem or doesn't it give a **ahem** about its users?

[pizzacheeks]

“If Google knows it's a one way street and lists Westpac as compatible, they we as Users would assume that Google can be trusted when in fact it can't”

The problem with this again is like I said according to google, support is already enabled as westpac support google pay. So this again is not google’s fault and can be trusted but your bank no so much. 

So two things could be happening one(which is less likely) westpac is use a legacy google pay(if there is such a thing) or two they have their own security measures that is blocking the authentication of member’s cards to google pay for Fitbit

[Tigist2021]

It is not just Westpac - the crossover doesn't work with American Express, Commonwealth Bank, St George (to name a few). Ergo - FitBit should not be rolling out the crossover till they have ensured it will work in the general market. 

[pizzacheeks]

That is on the banks/credit card companies not google as google pay for Fitbit has been available on the sense 2/versa 4 for over a year now.