Google has announced that its new mobile payment system, Android Pay, will begin rolling out today. With this, you will be able to make payments using just your Android phone. Over the coming months, additional features, banks and store locations will be adding support for Android Pay.
Android Pay will work on all NFC-enabled Android phones running KitKat and above, on any mobile carrier in the US. Credit and debit cards from American Express, Discover, Visa and Mastercard will all work with Android Pay, and you will be able to use the service at over one million locations. Some of these locations include Panera Bread, Office Depot, Toys R Us, GameStop and many others.
To keep things secure, Google will not be sending your actual credit or debit card number with the payment, but instead it will use a virtual account number. As soon as you make a purchase, you will receive a confirmation that shows where the transaction took place, keeping you informed at all times.
Later this year, Android Pay will be enabled through mobile checkout, allowing you to use the payment service within your favorite apps. Additionally, the service will soon support loyalty cards and special offers with just a tap. Existing Google Wallet users can access Android Pay through an update to the Wallet app. For new users, Android Pay will be available on the Play Store in the next few days, and will come pre-installed on NFC-enabled phones from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
At the same time, Google has also rolled out a new Google Wallet app, which now simply focuses on sending and receiving money, rather than payments (which are now all in Android Pay). The new app, which also features a much needed redesign, will work on both Android and iOS.
It's easy, fast, and free to send money directly from your bank account, debit card or Wallet Balance. When you receive money through Google Wallet, you can spend it using your Google Wallet Card wherever Debit MasterCard® is accepted in the US, use your Wallet Card to withdraw it from participating ATMs, or cash out to a debit card or linked bank account.
You can find the new Google Wallet app in Google Play now, but we're still waiting for Android Pay to go live in the store.
Source: Google, Google Commerce
