March towards cashless society: Google receives major support for Android Pay

© REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

    

Last week, Google announced that its mobile payment platform, Android Pay, will be available on Android tablets and smartphones. In the short time since its unveiling, the Apple Pay competitor has already received substantial support from a number of large companies, including several of the top credit card providers in America.

About Android Pay

Android Pay is similar to Apple Pay, Visa Checkout, PayPal, and the yet-to-be-released Samsung Pay. Through a free app on their phones or tablets, users can store credit card information, keep track of their purchases and pay for items on the go. Android Pay utilizes near field communications (NFC) to allow for swipe-free payments at NFC-enabled registers. Users just hold the phone up to the credit card machine to make a transaction.

According to the website, Android Pay will be accepted at "hundreds of thousands of stores" when it launches, including Subway, McDonald's, Petco, While Foods, Macy's, Coca-Cola, Staples and GameStop.

Android Pay supports cards from many of the nation's biggest banks and networks, such as American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard, Bank of America, USAA and U.S. Bank.

Support for Android Pay

Thus far, the response for Android Pay has been overwhelmingly positive. Visa used the unveiling as an opportunity to announce the launch of the Digital Enablement Program (VDEP) that connects financial institutions with technology firms to integrate new payment solutions into their existing infrastructure. Google is Visa's first international program partner. Visa's executive vice president of strategic partnerships said, "With so many people using Android devices and a passionate developer community, we couldn't be more excited to have Google as a partner in our program launch."

MasterCard sent out a press release complimenting Google on its mobile payment platform, saying that Android Pay "provides MasterCard cardholders with even more options for paying on the go using their choice of mobile device." The credit card giant said it laid the foundation for mobile transactions and contactless payments more than a decade ago, and Android Pay provides a simple and secure solution for MasterCard users who want to use their cards "when, where, and how they want."

Braintree, now owned by PayPal, said it has already integrated Android Pay into its v.zero SDK platform, which provides almost-instant updates for merchants looking to expand their checkout options. A company statement read, "With very little effort, merchants will be able to add Android Pay, in addition to credit and debit cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, and bitcoin--all with a single integration."

Discover was also quick to encourage its members to sign up for Android Pay, stating that card members with phones operating on Android KitKat 4.4 or newer will have access to Google's payment platform for their Discover cards. Heather Roche, vice president of rewards at Discover, said, "Adding Android Pay expands Discover's ability to enhance the convenience and experience for its mobile users." Pali Bhat, director of product management for Google, also remarked on the partnership, saying, "Mobile payments is a big priority for Google so we've been working with major networks and issuers like Discover to help provide a seamless experience across a wide range of phones and stores."

Android Pay is scheduled to launch in the next few months.