Android Pay launches in the UK
Apple Pay rival Android Pay has launched in the UK, letting any Android users make contactless payments of up to £30.
Android users with a device running KitKat 4.4 and above with NFC will be able to make payments in the same way you can with Apple Pay. The system works with all existing contactless payment points including London transport.
To pay for goods the smartphone needs to be awake and tapped on the contactless reader. For payments over £30 the user has the option to authenticate the payment by unlocking the smartphone.
Transactions use tokenisation to secure payment information. The users credit card details are never sent and all transactions are immediately confirmed to prevent fraud or suspicious activity.
Users can connect a Visa or Matercard credit or debit card to their Android Pay app. Supported banks at launch are Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA and Nationwide.
“It’s suprising that Google has followed the competition in this space rather than led the way. However I’m sure Google will build around their payment ecosystem, Google has already announced Android Pay Day, which will give users special offers on the last Tuesday of the month.”
Over 84m contactless credit cards have been produced in the UK as of February 2016 and over £1.3bn was spent using contactless payments in the month with usage growing by 36% year-on-year.
