Well. We’re honestly shocked. Long thought to be a long-time holdout the Commonwealth Bank has today announced that they will begin offering customers the option to use both Android Pay and the newly announced Garmin Pay.
The Commonwealth Bank says that these new payment partnerships will offer their customers, 4.4 million of whom use the app, more ways to pay. Michael Baumann, General Manager Everyday Banking & Payments, Commonwealth Bank said
In June this year we saw weekly transactions across the CommBank app hit $6.1 billion so we know customers love using their phones to make payments and do their banking. Since 2013 our customers have been able to use their smartphones to make payments. By offering customers the ability to pay with Android Pay and with their Garmin smartwatches we are combining choice and convenience.
Though they’ve announced they will be incorporating both Android Pay and Garmin Pay, there’s no current launch date. The Commonwealth Bank said ‘Android Pay will be available to Commonwealth Bank customers before the end of the year’. While Garmin Pay will arrive early next month when the Garmin Vívoactive 3, the only watch compatible with Garmin Pay, launches here.
The Commonwealth Bank is the third of the ‘Big Four’ banks to hop onto the Android Pay train, leaving NAB the lone hold-out, though that could also change. With the addition of the Commonwealth Bank, Android Pay now has 53 institutions offering their customers access to the service.
Do you use Android Pay? Which bank are you with, or if you don’t is it because your bank doesn’t offer the option yet?
