Belfius Bank launches smartwatch app

Belfius Bank has expanded its range of mobile banking apps with Belfius Direct Wear, a new app for Android smartwatches, computerized wristwatches that can relay information from smartphones.

As many as 12,000 smartwatches were sold in Belgium in the first nine months of 2014, according to market research agency GfK, and that figure could surpass 20,000 by the end of the holiday season in December.

The smartwatch is still part of a niche market in Belgium, but according to some trend watchers, the product is only expected to take off in popularity over the next four years. Sales forecasts by BI Intelligence speak of nearly 100 million units sold worldwide by 2019, compared with 20 million in 2014.

Belfius is convinced that 'wearable computing' is in line with a trend that will transform our daily lives, including our banking habits. Belfius is therefore the first bank in Belgium to launch an app for smartwatches.

With Belfius Direct Wear, customers can discreetly consult their bank account balance on their Android smartwatch, and even choose to receive a notification every time there is a change to their account.