Android Pay Now Available
 

I didn't see another thread on the topic, but Android Pay is now available.

Android Pay reaches Google Play, ready for all in the US (engadget)

Works on any Android running 4.4 or higher with NFC. Google initially started updating Google Wallet a week ago to Android Pay, but now anyone can download it from Google Play.

Google Wallet acts as a new, standalone app for P2P payments.

Question: It says that it's only available in the US, but will work at any NFC PoS. Does that mean it won't work outside the US or just that I can't load a non-American credit card?

Apple, meanwhile, has extended their own system well beyond the borders of the U.S. This is one area that could bring me back to iPhone if Google don't hurry up with rest of world.

Can you now load international credit cards to Apple Pay that pay in other currencies?

Never mind - just checked and see that they're expanding to UK

Despite Citi being an Android Pay partner, the app would not let me load either of my Citi AAdvantage cards.

Customer service explained that was due to American Airlines having yet to agree to participate. Well, my call to customer service earned me a 5,000 AAdvantage miles bonus.

I was able to load my Chase United MileagePlus card.

So was I, along with my Delta SkyMiles AMEX, AMEX Plat and VISA Debit Checking card. I've got my AVIS, Delta, and United loyalty cards loaded as well.

I'll have a chance to try ans use some of this next week.

Never used Apple Pay so no clue with this one...

If I add multiple cards to Android Pay, how does it know which card to use? Do I set one as a default and if I want to use a different one, select that before tapping?

Even though Chase isn't participating? I couldn't get my Google Wallet IHG MC accepted

Getting it working on a rooted phone might be challenging, too. I speak from experience :)

Yes, you can load cards even if their vendors are not participating. Transactions on such cards are paid with something called a "virtual Mastercard".

That's only for cards that you've originally had in Wallet. I tried adding a card from an unsupported issuer that I've never had in Wallet before and Android Pay wouldn't allow it.

Contactless cards are more convenient in some respects though so I'm not sure you're missing all that much. And don't some banks elsewhere already let you use NFC via their own Android apps?

They do. They've got their limitations, though.

TD (Canada)- separate app, SIM with secure element and Canadian-registered Play Store account required. I don't have either. Thankfully the card itself is contactless.

ICBC (mainland China)- separate app, no region restriction, requires HCE-capable phone/Android version. Requires periodic SMS verification, though, so here in the US it's useless to me until I find my Chinese SIM again.

Which is breathtakingly short-sighted of them- they include a virtual Visa PayWave card presumably for international use, then require periodic SMS verification to the phone number on file with the bank, which must be Chinese, which you would presumably not be using while overseas if you don't want to go broke.

And the virtual UnionPay card requires online PIN with every transaction, in which case why do I bother getting out my phone and unlocking the screen when I could just insert my card?

Still, at least they went with HCE and didn't region-restrict their app.

Grrr, US only. Grrr.

Question, anyone found if you have US credit card, can you use it terminals abroad? I understand from friends who have Apple Pay they can use the service abroad (using their US / UK cards).

The Citi HHonors Reserve Visa is also not participating-- yet. They do participate in Apple Pay so I can't imagine they won't participate in Android Pay. Is there an additional cost to a card partner to participate?

Who did you talk to in order to get the bonus? The first rep I talked to thought the card should work and told me to try again the next day. The second rep I talked to told me the same reason you got, and implied that no one would tell me otherwise (he went so far as to read the time logs of my calls to customer service and tell me that a memo circulated that day informing them of a lack of agreement between AA and Citi so no one could possibly say otherwise). I was a bit put off, to say the least!

American Airlines continues their hissyfit with Android Pay. Meanwhile ... today I received a jolly note from Citi AAdvantage congratulating me (as best I can put it) for having added my card to Samsung Pay.

As for Android Pay outside the U. S. (with an American-issued card), I've read reports it works fine.

Does anyone know if Android Pay would work with TFL in London?

Unlikely. I recommend getting a tourist Oyster card (before you go, but I understand you can get them on arrival). Absent phone/app (and convenient balance tracking), it's still an enormously useful part of navigating London.

Set it up last week and didn't expect to use it much -- if at all. Found myself at the grocery store today only to realize I'd accidentally left my wallet at home. Voila! Android Pay. I'm glad it even occurred to me, because I wasn't excited about going home to retrieve my wallet and return to the store.

I'd sooner just use a contactless credit card that I have instead of dealing with the purchase/setup of an Oyster card.

Any reason Android Pay would be different than Apple Pay (which is supported)?

Mainly because Google has been very slow in launching outside of the US. I expect it will work eventually. Personally, I don't like contactless debit/credit cards, but the fingerprint security that comes with Apple (and presumably Android) pay is appealing.

That said..... There's no harm in trying. As far as the payment terminal is concerned, there may not be much of a distinction between a contactless payment card, an iPhone or an Android phone. Just make sure you have a backup payment method.

Bumpety bump! Android Pay is now available in the UK. Points to note:

• No additional authentication per use (you just have to wake the phone, which should avoid accidental payments).
• Up to £30, no pin required, but unlike Apple Pay you can go beyond £30 (up to 100, albeit with PIN).
• No Amex support (yet, I assume).
• Not all credit cards and banks supported.
• At the moment it works with only my Nationwide debit card.

Setup and use is simple. You take a photo of the card, fill in the CVC and then authenticate with the provider, who sends you an SMS message with an authentication code. In practice, use is simple. Wake the phone and touch the terminal with it (and I really do have to be holding the corporate S5 Neo far closer to the terminal than I do with my iPhone).