Westpac says it's "poised" to release a mobile banking application for a watch.
The bank says the app will initially be available exclusively on the Sony SmartWatch, which connects to an Android smartphone, but will later be extended to other smart watches when they become more widely available in New Zealand.
In a statement Westpac's head of digital Simon Pomeroy described smart watches as "the next frontier" of app development.
"This development offers unrivalled convenience for customers and helps answer the most frequently asked question in banking, 'What's my balance?' at the touch of their wrist," said Pomeroy.
“Customers are adopting all forms of mobile technology at an extraordinary pace. We see this development as another step forward and a key part of our strategy to offer them the best digital banking experience in New Zealand with unparalleled functionality across all devices,” Pomeroy added.
The SmartWatch app is based on Westpac's Cash Tank app that lets customers get up to date balances without any authentication. Pomeroy said Westpac is working on expanding the app's functionality to offer customers transfers between their bank accounts and the ability to receive account alerts on their watch.
Westpac said a release for the new SmartWatch app is "to be confirmed."
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