Android Pay will launch in the UK “in the coming months”

[Arthur]

Source: Google (via Ars Technica)

 

At long last, Google has announced that Android Pay is coming to the UK "in the coming months."

 

A number of major high street banks will be supported at launch, including HSBC, Lloyds, Halifax, and Nationwide, but notably Barclays, Natwest, and Santander are missing right now. The payment processors MasterCard and Visa are both on board, too, but American Express is not.

 

Much like Apple Pay, you'll be able to use Android Pay at every contactless point of sale, including Transport for London trains and buses. Unlike Apple Pay, however, because Android Wear doesn't currently support NFC, you sadly won't be able to pay for stuff with your smartwatch.

 

Again similar to Apple Pay, Android Pay can also be used to pay for stuff inside apps. So, for example, instead of entering your credit card details every time you order food through Deliveroo, your payment details would be pulled from a digital wallet on your phone. This feature is entirely down to app developers updating their apps to support Android Pay in this way, though.

 

To use Android Pay, either for contactless payments or in-app purchases, you'll need a device running Android 4.4 or later and the Android Pay app. After enrolling any number of credit or debit cards, you can then make a payment by typing in your passcode or using a fingerprint scanner if your phone has one.

 

The UK will be Android Pay's second market after it launched in the US in September 2015. Samsung is also meant to be launching a competing service (unsurprisingly called Samsung Pay) in the UK this year, but it hasn't yet announced any more details. Samsung Pay will only work on Samsung's own smartphones.

 

In other news, Barclays will reportedly support Apple Pay before 27 March. Mark the day on your calendars!

 

http://i.cubeupload.com/8EpKcc.jpg

Edited March 23, 2016 by Arthur

[Arthur]

Rumour has it that Android Pay will launch in the UK later today (after the Google I/O event).

 

https://twitter.com/Android/status/732663102945296384

 

Play Store Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.walletnfcrel