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In the lead article, we consider where wearable technology will be in five years time. Whilst the fitness wearables have been very popular, payment ones aren’t as far along as everyone initially expected with the likes of Barclays’ bPay range and even Apple’s Watch failing to live up to expectations. However, new research suggests that payment wearables are more of a long game solution as people need to become comfortable and familiar with the tech and decide for themselves whether it is more convenient than the more established methods currently available.

Elsewhere, potentially big news on another payment frontier as Google has revealed it is trialling a new app that will allow users to make hands-free payments. Will we all be saying ‘pay with Google’ in a year’s time or prefer our mobiles as the number of consumers making contactless payments on their phones is predicted to hit 148m this year, driven by adoption of Apple and Samsung’s mobile wallets?

In other news, Ben Katz, Card.com CEO, shared his thoughts on smartphones and branchless banking, an infographic traces the history of payments, and we can exclusively reveal the FinTech Innovation Awards category finalists. Have you made it?

Wearable tech hasn’t really been the hit everyone expected, but is it just playing the long game? That’s what research firm IHS Technology believes to be the case as it predicts the wearables market will increase over 270 per cent by 2020

Google is now testing truly contactless ways of paying. The American giant is piloting a new payment app called Hands Free that allows users to pay for things without going into their wallets, instead all they have to say is that they will “pay with Google”.

As banking goes branchless, companies like Card.com that let customers manage their finances online and on mobile are right at the heart of that shift in behaviour.

The number of consumers making contactless payments on their phones will hit 148m this year, driven by adoption of Apple and Samsung’s mobile wallets.

As we make our way through 2016 and all the exciting payment innovations that come along with it, it is always prudent to be mindful of what came before. This infographic traces the history of payments all the way back to 450 B.C.

The finalists for the 2016 FinTech Innovation Awards were announced today across all 14 categories. Find out here who made the list.