Google takes the fight to Apple Pay today

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google-takes-the-fight-to-apple-pay-today-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201509Android-Pay-png
Get ready for Android Pay.
Photo: Google
Get ready for Android Pay. Photo: Google
Get ready for Android Pay. Photo: Google

Android Pay has begun rolling out to users with support at more than 1 million locations throughout the U.S.

The Apple Pay competitor, which was first unveiled at Google I/O back in May, is available on NFC-equipped smartphones running Android 4.4 KitKat and above, and it’s compatible with a whole host of banks and credit card providers.

Thanks mostly to the aforementioned Apple Pay, which was the first to make mobile payments available on a giant scale when it launched in the U.S. last October, the total spend from mobile devices is expected to skyrocket over the next few years.

According to figures from Business Insidershoppers in the U.S. will spend around $300 billion using mobile payment services in 2017 — up from under $100 billion this year. That figure is expected to rise to more than $800 billion in 2019.

It’s no wonder, then, that Google and Samsung are chasing Apple for a piece of that sweet mobile payment pie.

Not everyone on Android will see Android Pay today, however. Google says the service will rollout gradually over the next few days with support for credit and debit cards from the four major payment networks: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.

And “this is just the beginning,” Google says. In the coming months, Android Pay will be made available to more people and new features will be added that will make it even easier to pay for purchases using your Android phone.

Here’s the list of bands and credit unions that will support Android Pay starting today:

  • American Express
  • Bank of America
  • Discover
  • Navy Federal Credit Union
  • PNC
  • Regions Bank
  • USAA
  • U.S. Bank

Citi and Wells Fargo will also be added in the next few days, Google says, while Capital One is coming soon. Android Pay will also come pre-installed on new devices equipped with NFC from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

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