It seems Apple won’t be the only company offering a tap-and-pay feature on its smartphones. Now, Android users will be getting their own tap and pay feature. Google has announced Android Pay will soon be coming for Android smartphones and devices.
With Android Pay, users will be able to pay for transactions simply by using their mobile devices. The company claims you won’t even have to open an app.
Android Pay will work on NFC-enabled Android phones running on the KitKat (Android 4.4) operating system or later. Simply unlock your phone, tap it against a participating retailer’s NFC terminal and you’re done.
There are over 700,000 store locations that will soon be accepting Android Pay. Retailers such as jetBlue Airways, Best Buy, Whole Foods, Coke, and Pepsi will be participating.
Android Pay will work with more than just physical locations. It will work with participating apps as well. When you want to make a purchase from an app, you will be able to select “Buy with Android Pay,” instead of entering your debit or credit card number.
Currently Android Pay will be accepted in over 1,000 Android apps including Hoteltonight, Dunkin’ Donuts, Groupon, and Priceline.
On the official Android Blog, Director of Product Management Pali Bhat, explains:
To make it easier for developers to add Android Pay to your favorite apps, we’ve designed our platform to work with any payment processor. And we’re partnering with top payments processors including Braintree, CyberSource, First Data, Stripe and Vantiv to make integration even easier.”
Google is putting an emphasis on security for Android Pay. In an effort to keep user information safe, virtual account numbers are used to give an extra level of protection. Instead of a user’s actual debit or credit card number being sent with a payment, their virtual account number is used to represent their account information.
The Android Device Manager allows users to lock their device, reset their password, or wipe their device clean from anywhere, in the event their device is stolen.
There is no specific release date for Android Pay as of yet. But Google says it will be coming soon for download.
Image: Google
Aira Bongco
Okay. So Android and Apple now has pay. I wonder if this will affect how money is processed online. After all, mobile phones mostly operate online.
Anneswan Adhwaryu
Very interesting! But can this app be used to make transactions in India?