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(Update #2: this time it's for real) Android Pay now officially available in the UK
Update 2, May 18: It looks like we only had to wait for another day. Google confirmed in a blog post that Android Pay is now available in the UK at every merchant that accepts contactless payments, including Boots, Starbucks,Waitrose, and Transport for London. Android Pay is supported by the financial institutions listed in the post below. Android Pay will soon arrive in Australia and Singapore, while other markets are slated to follow in the next months.[/alert]
Update 1, May 17: In spite of an announcement earlier today that Android Pay was live in the UK, the official Android Twitter account has revealed that UK citizens will have to wait a bit longer for Android Pay support.[/alert]
Excited for #AndroidPay in the UK? We are too! Not quite there yet, but keep checking back ?— Android (@Android) May 17, 2016
Original post, May 17: The official Android blog has announced that Android Pay will soon be arriving in the UK. Soon Android users will be able to safely and securely pay from their devices using the operating system’s tap and pay functionality. MasterCard and Visa debit and credit cards will be supported from a variety of banks including, but not limited to, the Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA, and Nationwide Building Society. The team has announced that they will be looking to expand this list of banks going forward, bringing more and more users into the mobile payment circle.
With Android Pay, users are able to not only make payments at brick-and-mortar locations where they would normally use a card, but they can also zip through payments on their favorite apps. Supported apps include Deliveroo, Fancy, Hotel Tonight, KickStarter, Wish, 1-800 Flowers, and many others. No more re-entering your billing information for every transaction.
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With mobile payment methods on the rise, it could be that we will eventually leave our cards and cash behind entirely. However, this reality still seems to be quite a ways into the future, as smartphone-based transactions still aren’t supported quite widely enough to use them as your sole means of payment. If you’re a UK resident, let us know what you think of Android Pay coming your way in the comments below!