Google bringing Android Pay to the UK

Google will bring Android Pay to the UK in the next couple of months, according to a report in the BBC.

The mobile payment system allows any device with a NFC chip running Android 4.4 or higher to act as a tap-and-pay substitute for credit and debit cards.

Android Pay requires a user to initially store card details within the app, and then use a fingerprint scan or passcode to authorize a payment. It can be used in stores and restaurants as an alternative to tapping a card on a point-of-sale terminal, or within apps to avoid having to type in account details.

Visa and Mastercard will allow the mobile payment service to stand in for their cards, as well as several UK banks including: Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA and Nationwide. Google says they will add more organizations ahead of the launch.

Google also announced it will be bringing Android Pay to Australia by the end of June.

Article Topics

Android Pay  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint authentication  |  mobile payment  |  secure transactions  |  UK