Have you been waiting for your local bank to bring NFC tap-to-pay to their Android apps? If so, you might no longer have to wait for them. Overnight Google Australia announced that Android pay is coming to Australia in the first half of 2016. Google’s Australian managing director, Maile Carnegie told Ausdroid at the launch:
“Australians are some of the fastest adopters of technology in the world, including in their use of innovative banking solutions. It is wonderful to see wide support from the Australian banks and the industry for Android Pay, meaning you will be able to use your Android smartphone as a way to buy things when you’re out and about.”
At launch, Google has announced they are partnering with ANZ, Westpac, Bank of Melbourne, Bank of South Australia, Bendigo Bank, Cuscal, ING DIRECT, Macquarie Bank, and St. George. If your financial institution isn’t on that list Google stated they would continue to work with other partners throughout the year.
The partners selected by Google are clearly happy to be on board. Greg Ward, Deputy Managing Director, Macquarie Group told us:
“We are delighted to be working with Google to make Android Pay available to Macquarie transaction and credit cardholders. Macquarie is committed to providing our clients and partners with leading and innovative digital banking solutions, and Android Pay offers clients a simple and secure way to make payments using their Android phone, as well as the convenience of storing gift cards, loyalty cards and special offers on their phone for fast and easy access.”
If your bank isn’t on that list the perhaps it’s time you made your opinions known to them via their approved feedback mechanisms.
With Commonwealth Bank being one of the leading players in the current Android Tap to Pay space it is worth noting that they are conspicuously absent from the announcement post, time will tell if they are just a little late to the party or if they are not joining Android Pay in favour of their own in-house, and likely more profitable, solution. At launch in Australia Android pay will support MasterCard and Visa Credit and debit cards, with work continuing to enable eftpos (or standard debit cards) in the app.
Google also announced launch retail partners with 7-Eleven, Brumby’s Bakery, Coles Express, Coles Supermarkets, Crust Gourmet Pizza, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited, Donut King, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, McDonald’s, Michel’s Patisserie, Pizza Capers, and Telstra all signing on to partner with Google on the launch.
Roger Sniezek, Coles’ financial services director, told Ausdroid:
“Coles has been a pioneer in mobile payments and a key supporter of contactless technologies for a number of years. We welcome new, innovative technologies and look forward to Google launching Android Pay in Australia and accepting it at all Coles locations”
It is important to note that Android pay will work where ever you can use contactless payments so these are more likely promotional partners rather than exclusive payment merchants.
But wait there’s more, one of the features of Android pay includes in-app purchases, Google has announced partnerships with Australian app developers to bring Android Pay integration into their apps, the apps include Day, EatNow, GoCatch, Kogan.com, Menulog, OzSale, Rewardle, and The Iconic.
Are you a developer who wants to add Android Pay to your app? Google also outlined the 3rd party payment providers who they are partnering with to provide app developers with an end to end payment solutions. Developers can choose between Braintree, eWAY, First Data, and Stripe to integrate payments solutions including Android Pay into their apps.
Australia isn’t new to the tap-to-pay experience so it is easy to see that adoption of Android Pay could be quite large, and with many major players in the Australian financial market getting involved there will be many existing customers of those services who can use the service and plenty of choice for those of us who might be considering a new bank soon.
Are you excited for Android Payments to come to Australia? If your bank doesn’t sign up; will that be enough to make you change banks?
