Special mittens have been designed by Visa to make contactless payments during Pyeongchang 2018 ©Visa

A special pair of mittens has been developed with an NFC chip inside it so spectators can make sure their hands do not get cold during next year's Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.

The innovative mittens have been developed by Olympic TOP sponsor Visa and Lotte Card, the financial arm of South Korean-based retail giant, Lotte Department Store, a sponsor of Pyeongchang 2018. 

The average temperature in Pyeongchang next February and March is expected to be 4.8°C, the payment mitten will offer spectators a way to pay securely without having to get cold hands. 

The mittens, due to be officially launched in South Korea tomorrow, will be branded with the Visa logo and contain a dual interface chip housed with a contactless antenna capable of completing purchases throughout official Olympic Venues and compatible readers globally. 

The mittens will come with embedded prepaid amounts valued at KRW30,000 (£20/$27/€23) or KRW50,000 (£34/$45/€39).

Spectators at Pyeongchang 2018 will be able to make contactless payments during a specially-designed souvenir pin featuring the Winter Olympic Games mascot Soohorang ©Visa
Spectators at Pyeongchang 2018 will be able to make contactless payments during a specially-designed souvenir pin featuring the Winter Olympic Games mascot Soohorang ©Visa

Visa is also launching four lapel pins featuring custom Pyeongchang 2018 designs to offer a payment-enabled collectable for fans and athletes to utilise on-site. 

Cost per pin is KRW5,000 (£3.50/$4.50/€4.00) plus embedded prepaid amounts valued at KRW30,000 or KRW50,000.

They are also launching wearable stickers are available in denominations of KRW30,000, KRW50,000, KRW100,000 (£68.50/$90.00/€77.50) and KRW200,000 (£137/$180/€155). 

The collection includes eight distinct designs including Soohorang - the white tiger and who is one of the official Pyeongchang 2018 mascots - and the South Korean flag.

"We are looking forward to transforming the payment experience for everyone who attends the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang," Iain Jamieson, Korea country manager at Visa, said. 

"At Visa, we have been working tirelessly to ensure all of the Olympic venues are equipped with the very latest payment capabilities to provide the best experience possible for all those on-site."

As the exclusive payment partner of the Olympic Games, Visa is managing the entire payment system infrastructure and network throughout all venues within the arena for Pyeongchang 2018. 

This includes more than 1,000 contactless point-of-sale terminals capable of accepting mobile and wearable payments.