Mi Smart Band 4 NFC is the first fitness bracelet from Xiaomi with official support for contactless payments in the Russian Federation. This special version of the device appeared on the Russian market in 2020. Thus, Russia became the first country in the world after China in which Xiaomi launched a contactless payment system using a fitness bracelet. We will talk in detail about using this function, including which Russian banks are supported and how to link a bank card, in the article below.
What is the difference between the Chinese and global versions of Mi Smart Band 4 NFC
Before introducing you to the instructions for contactless payment using this fitness bracelet, it is necessary for each user to understand that there is a Chinese and international (global) modification of the device.
The version for the native Chinese market has long been available in the regions of Russia, it is easy to purchase from the same Aliexpress, and it costs much less than the official global modification. And here the question arises: why then purchase a more expensive international version if there is a much cheaper Chinese version? We answer: the fitness bracelet released for the Chinese market does not support the contactless payment function in Russia. Accordingly, the device will work like a regular smartwatch from Xiaomi and, despite the built-in NFC chip, you won’t be able to pay in stores using it. Therefore, do not try to buy a Chinese analogue of the bracelet in an attempt to save money, otherwise you will simply lose one of the important functions of the device.
The global version of Mi Smart Band 4 NFC has the characteristics presented in the following infographic:
It is important to be able to distinguish the global version of the bracelet from the Chinese one. The international version has the “EAC” logo on the inside of the device. Below the screen is a touch button that is shaped like an inverted "U".
How to set a pin code on a bracelet
1Go to the menu item Profile My devices Mi Smart Band 4 NFC.
2Scroll down to the “Lab” line and tap on it.
3In the “Password” line, click on the “Not set” button.
4Turn on the bracelet lock function.
5In the window that opens, enter any four numbers suggested below.
6Reboot the gadget: through the bracelet menu Advanced Settings Reboot.
What banks and cards does Mi Band 4 NFC support?
Due to the fact that this Xiaomi fitness bracelet works with the Mastercard payment system, which took part in the development, not all bank cards can be linked to the device. That is, such widely used cards as “Visa” and “Mir” cannot be connected to the bracelet.
Currently, not all Russian banks support the Mi Pay payment system. Support data is updated on the official page, as well as below in the list on our website.
At the beginning of 2022, Mi Smart Band 4 NFC works with Mastercard cards of these banks:
- Alfa Bank;
- Bank opening;
- Union Bank;
- VTB;
- GAZPROMBANK;
- Credit Europe Bank;
- Credit Bank of Moscow;
- Post Bank;
- PSB;
- Raiffeisen BANK;
- RosselkhozBank;
- Russian Standard Bank;
- Tinkoff Bank;
- Yandex.Money (YMoney).
When will it be possible to link Sberbank cards?
As you may have noticed, there is no such serious player as Sberbank higher on the list, and this affects the popularity of the fitness bracelet. However, the number of supported banks is constantly increasing and, according to the latest news, Sberbank is now actively working on integration with the Mi Pay system. However, no exact dates have been determined.
Now Sberbank cardholders who want to use contactless payments can do the following - use the YuMoney service (formerly called Yandex.Money). Since the Mi Smart Band 4 NFC supports the linking of digital cards of the YuMoney service, the user just needs to issue this digital card and transfer his money there from a Sberbank card without commission.
How are things going with contactless payments in the Russian Federation?
As is known, contactless transfers of funds using a mobile phone or other device are carried out with the presence of an NFS module, which provides short-distance wireless communication, the range of which does not exceed ten centimeters. This module functions as a payment card emulator.
Initially, the Nokia 6131 phone, produced since 2006, became a mobile device capable of supporting contactless money transfers. In those days, such a function was considered exotic, for which there was no real scope for application. Contactless payments gained real popularity on smartphones that support the Apple Pay service in 2014, and a year later Samsung and Android Pay joined the platform.
Today, in addition to mobile phones, the NFS function is used in the following devices:
- plastic cards of banks – Visa, MasterCard, Mir. By the way, since 2019, Visa and MasterCard have transferred financial institutions to issuing only contactless cards;
- smart watch Apple Watch, known to Russians since 2016;
- watches: Samsung on Tizen OS, products from other manufacturers operating on the Android Wear and Wear OS operating systems, Garmin watches and Fitbit Lonic (this system is provided for informational purposes - it does not function in Russia).
We remind you that equipping a gadget with the necessary chip does not guarantee that it supports contactless payments.
For everything to function normally, you need software synchronization and support from relevant services and banks. For this reason alone, transferring money using a bracelet from Xiaomi remains an unresolved issue.
Setting up the NFC function
To use the contactless payment feature, you must first set it up. There is nothing complicated about it, just follow the instructions below. We also note that those users who already have the Mi Fit application on their smartphone, an account created in it with the Russia region, as well as a linked fitness bracelet, can immediately start setting up from step No. 3.
- Install Xiaomi's Mi Fit app from the Google Play store on your smartphone. Launch the application and create an account, making sure to indicate the “Russia” region when registering.
- After logging into Mi Fit, using the details of the created account, add your fitness bracelet. To do this, go to “Profile” - “My devices” - “Add device”. Select the Bracelet category and follow the on-screen prompts.
- When your wearable device is successfully synchronized with Mi Fit, go to the “Profile” tab, at the top of the screen in the “My Devices” section, click on the name of the connected bracelet.
- In a new window, open the “Bank cards” item and either scan the card or enter its data manually - card number, holder name, expiration date and secret code CVC2. If necessary, you can add several cards this way (maximum 6).
- Wait until synchronization with the servers takes place, and an SMS with a confirmation code will be sent to your phone. If you were unable to add a card the first time, try again after a while.
- For your safety, in the “Lab” section of the Mi Fit application, set a four-digit code to unlock your Mi Band. If you enable this function, the fitness bracelet will be locked every time you remove it from your hand. If it happens that you lose the device, then no one will be able to use it to make a contactless payment.
This completes the setup. Now all you have to do is test the function in your nearest store.
Differences from the 3rd model
You already know how NFC works in Mi Band 10 and how to configure the chip. Now let's figure out which version is recommended to purchase. The fourth model has a resolution of 240 x 120 pixels, and the previous version is capable of presenting a black and white screen of 128 x 80 pixels. Naturally, the device we reviewed will provide more information, and you will get more pleasant impressions from such a gadget. But as the screen became more energy-dependent, the manufacturer had to add battery capacity to maintain the number of days declared for operation.
There is also Bluetooth 5.0, which requires less energy compared to version 4.2; unprotected plastic is replaced with tempered glass, which gives increased resistance to external influences.
There have been improvements in the strap, and the accuracy of measurements has increased thanks to the updating of some sensors. The new product has a built-in player, a function has appeared that locks the bracelet from the moment it is removed from the wrist, and settings can activate a notification about an increase in heart rate. All this increased the popularity of the updated bracelet, increasing the number of people wishing to purchase such a gadget.
Payment using Mi Band 4 NFC bracelet
To pay for certain goods and services with your bracelet, you need to do just a few simple steps:
- Find the “Cards” category in the fitness bracelet menu.
- Select the bank card from whose balance funds will be debited upon payment.
- On the fitness bracelet, press the only button.
- The timer is activated for 60 seconds - during this time, bring your hand with the watch to the terminal and pay for your purchases. If the time runs out, the above steps will have to be performed again.
Receiving discounts when paying
When making contactless payments using Mi Smart Band 4, you can receive discounts and various advantageous offers. To do this, you need to go to the official Mastercard website, indicate your card, city and select the required section.
There are 6 categories in total in which you can get discounts: “Gastronomy”, “Entertainment”, “Shopping”, “New Year’s shopping” and “Priceless routes”.
Mastercard cooperates with a huge number of companies, whose services many of us use almost daily. Among them are such popular ones as:
- Yandex;
- Magnet;
- iHerb;
- Kinopoisk;
- Litres;
- Booking and so on.
To receive a discount, you need to go to the official website, study the current offers in your city and choose the one that suits you. If the conditions presented by the promotion are met, you will receive a nice bonus, discount or cashback.
Can I use the NFC function if I have a Chinese version of Mi Band 4
The version of Mi Band 4 with NFC for the Chinese market does not officially support contactless payment in the Russian Federation. However, there is a working method that will help you circumvent this limitation. Craftsmen have long modified the proprietary Mi Fit application from Xiaomi. It is this that allows you to use the Chinese version of the device for payment, as the official international one.
However, we cannot definitely advise you to use the modified APK. Is it worth risking your financial security to save a little money? If you hope for honesty and integrity of modders, find and download the modified APK file on the pages of the popular 4PDA forum. Next, install the application and register an account, indicating the region Russia. Then link the bracelet to your account and add your MasterCard bank card, as described above in the NFC settings section.
Convenience and safety
Despite the convenience of using the bracelet as a contactless payment tool, there are also some nuances.
Let's start with the fact that the function is not configured in the most convenient way. Setting up the Mi Band 4 payment system is carried out independently of the phone's payment system. In addition, there is no support from Sberbank and Alfa-Bank (although this may be possible in the near future).
As for safety, here you need to rely only on your vigilance. After linking his card to the bracelet, the user becomes responsible for protecting his data. This is due to the fact that the gadget does not provide any high-tech security system: only a 4-digit password, and there are no restrictions on the time and number of attempts to guess the code.
However, we still recommend setting a password for your gadget: it’s better than nothing. A PIN code is set in the settings of the Mi Fit mobile application, which allows you to activate the locking of the bracelet when you remove it from your wrist.
We recommend that you set a limit on the card you plan to add to your bracelet for spending transactions. If necessary, you will have the opportunity to change the allowed amount.
Errors during operation
- If your Mi account was initially created in a region other than Russian, or if the region changed subsequently, then it most likely will not be suitable for working with bank cards. In this case, the only solution is to create a new account and synchronize it with the bracelet.
- Sometimes it happens that the message “Pair device first” is displayed on the screen and further interaction with the bracelet becomes impossible. In this case, you need to synchronize the fitness bracelet and Mi Fit with each other, and if synchronization has already been done, you need to reset the settings to factory settings or reflash the bracelet.
Price segments
The Chinese market offers such a product in the price range from 169 to 349 yuan, which in Russian money is 1,500 - 2,100 rubles.
The cost constantly varies; market conditions are considered its determining component, but the maximum price does not exceed 3,000 rubles.
