One ring to pay them all! I tested a contactless payment ring and got some VERY strange looks on the London Underground

While the first one was released over a decade ago, smart rings are fast becoming the must-have tech gizmo for 2024.  

Samsung just released its £399 AI-powered Galaxy Ring, while Oura’s £500 ring is the device of choice for Prince Harry, Kim Kardashian and the England squad. 

Not to be left behind, Apple is now allegedly preparing its own version due for release later this year. 

However, a more ‘minimalist’ entry from a little-known British company could prove popular – and it doesn’t cost a penny.

MailOnline tested out the free MuchBetter payment ring, which unlike its rivals, has no battery and never needs to be charged – but it only has one job. 

The MuchBetter payment ring has no battery and never needs to be charged – although it only facilitates payments 

Unlike Samsung and Oura‘s pricey smart rings which track your sleep patterns, physical activity and even health factors like stress, MuchBetter’s ring facilitates contactless payments like a debit card.

A MuchBetter spokesperson told MailOnline that these other rings ‘aren’t as smart as their manufacturers like to claim’.

‘They’re both expensive to buy, they both run out of battery quickly, and while they both offer health tracking like steps and heartbeats, neither offer users the biggest convenience of all – being able to make contactless payments on the go,’ the spokesperson said.

The first step is downloading the MuchBetter app, where I have to enter my full name, date of birth, email and home address to create an account. 

As part of the verification process, I even have to take a photo of a recent utility bill confirming my home address. 

(Don’t you miss the days when every single tech device on the market didn’t demand your personal data!) 

The ring itself, meanwhile, doesn’t cost a thing.  

As part of a temporary promotion, you get it for free as long as you top up your account with £100 – although you have to pay £5.99 in postage to get it delivered. 

I must admit, from its appearance alone it looks like a modest fashion accessory – one that’s unlikely to draw the attention of thieves. 

Unlike rival companies, MuchBetter’s smart ring is free, sort of. You have to put money in your account to get it sent to you

Oura’s £500 ring (pictured) is the device of choice for Prince Harry, Kim Kardashian and the England squad

This screenshot shows the MuchBetter app’s layout – with balance at the top and recent transactions at the bottom

It’s light and thin and doesn’t have any open nooks and crannies – making it both waterproof and sandproof if you’re at the beach. 

I then have to name my ring – I opt for ‘Ringo’ – and tap it to the back of my phone to link it with my account. 

Once I’ve picked my currency and topped up with £100 (which involves linking a bank account), I’m finally ready to spend. 

The first time I use the ring to buy food I feel very self-conscious holding it up to the POS machine – surely this isn’t going to work? Surely the shopper next to me will think I’m an idiot?

But impressively the POS machine accepts it just like it would my debit card. There’s really no difference. 

Walking out of the shop I feel like the height of sophistication, as if I’m using the latest gadget from Q Branch in the James Bond films. 

On another occasion, an employee in Marks & Spencer is particularly flabbergasted, although he doesn’t seem to clock the ring. 

He asks incredulously if I just paid with my hand, as if I have a payment chip embedded in there or just generally have magic powers. 

The MuchBetter ring works in exactly the same way as a contactless card. When held up near a point-of-sale (POS) machine, a signal allows the transmission of information to the POS terminal to initiate the transaction

I also try the ring out at the London Underground where the security staff give me some very strange looks as if I’m somehow trying to trick the barriers.  

Overall I make about 10 payments using the ring and only twice does it not work – although I think both times I take too long to put my hand against the POS.

I don’t need to use the MuchBetter app when I make a payment, although it does prove useful to keep an eye on my balance. 

For security, every time I want to use the app I have to enter a 4-digit passcode – and if I lose the ring I can tap ‘freeze’ to stop anyone from using it.

The ring also has the same contactless limits as a card – if you do too many transactions with it, the POS machine will ask for chip and PIN. 

From its appearance alone it looks like a modest fashion accessory – one that’s unlikely to draw the attention of thieves (until you hold it up to a POS machine that is)

I try the ring out at the London Underground where the security staff give me some very strange looks as if I’m somehow trying to trick the barriers

Samsung’s new Galaxy Ring (pictured) tracks your health by continuously measuring and analysing your body’s patterns and activities, such as sleep, energy levels and fitness

What I like about this ring is its simplicity – it does away with all the creepy body-tracking capabilities that’s players like Samsung seem to be pushing, instead focusing solely on payments. 

Essentially, it exists for one sole reason – so people don’t have to keep taking their wallet or smartphone out of their pocket every time they pay for something. 

While it saves effort and a little bit of time, the act of downloading yet another app and linking a bank account is arguably a time-wasting hurdle. 

Surely to get payment rings mainstream, the big banks are going to have to issue their own versions so we can skip the middle-man. 

A few banks around the world have done this – Bankwest in Australia for example – but the little devices don’t seem to have caught on. 

It’s a shame, because now we’re being forced into making cashless transactions more than ever and definitely need a new effortless way to pay.