Dive Brief:

• Jawbone announced Wednesday that its new Up4 device will include contactless payments functionality through a partnership with American Express. 
• The activity tracker will contain a NFC chip for AmEx payments at NFC terminals, and will run for $199.
• There will be no financial information stored on the Up4 device, and the user can disconnect his or her AmEx card using a phone app if the device is lost or stolen. 

Dive Insight:

While contactless, mobile-free payments are now only reserved for high end smartwatches like the Apple Watch, this latest move may open it up to a broader audience — at least an audience willing to pay $200 for a fitness tracker/mobile wallet hybrid. Still, as more companies expand their selection of products working with NFC, this payment option may become more widespread. 

It's an interesting move from Jawbone, which still continues to partner with Apple and sell some of its products in Apple stores. While Jawbone CEO Hosain Rahman told Re/Code that some Jawbone products will still be sold in Apple stores, it would be a stretch to think Apple will carry the Up4, a direct competitor with the Apple Watch in the contactless payments sphere.