Among Apple, Android and Samsung, the race to be the contactless payment platform continues to heat up and the latest update involving Android Pay will just heat things up further. The Android team announced yesterday that you are now able to use Android Pay for purchases within apps such as Lyft, Instacart, OpenTable and more. Now you can configure these apps to accept your payment without having to enter in credit card numbers or hand your card over to someone.
No more pulling out your credit card while on-the-go. No more errors thanks to clumsy thumbs. Just tap the Android Pay button in the app, confirm your information, and you’re done! And just like your purchases in stores, Android Pay never shares your card details with merchants.
The ability to pay for products and services within other apps is something that Apple Pay has been able to do for some time so this update to Android Pay certainly brings it on par with iOS. Also keep in mind that this new in-app purchasing only works in the US right now.
To use this feature, you must have Android Pay configured on your Android device prior to trying to use it with another Pay enabled app. Android Pay is a free app but it does require that your phone have NFC capability so you can make contactless payments in retailers.
Android Pay Enabled Apps Will Continue To Grow
The list of apps that will work with Pay right now is pretty impressive already and covers a wide range of services. They include:
Android Pay in OpenTable
- Lyft
- Instacart
- Spring
- JackThreads
- Jet
- OpenTable
- Wish
- Fancy
- Zumper
- Hotel Tonight
- Houzz Interior Design
- DoorDash
- Turo
- Vinted
- SpotHero
- ParkWhiz
- Handy
- Priticular Print
- Dealflicks
- Luxe
- ParkMe Parking
- Rukkus Event Tickets
Several of these apps like Lyft and OpenTable have offers available for those who use Pay for their purchases to encourage you to give it a try. You can get more information on each app here in the Google Play Store.
The other big news that Google announced was that Android Pay will be coming to Australia.
We’re also taking the first step to bring the convenience of Android Pay to Android users across the globe. In the first half of 2016, Android Pay will arrive in Australia. We’re working closely with many of Australia’s major financial institutions—including ANZ, Westpac and many other banks—with the aim of bringing Android Pay to their MasterCard and Visa card holders. You will be able to use Android Pay wherever NFC payments are accepted in the country, including merchants such as 7-Eleven, McDonald’s and Telstra.
It’s great news for sure not only for Australians but for Pay users overall as it is not just a US thing only and Google has indicated that more countries will be added to the services throughout 2016.
Since the service became available in September, I personally have been using it everywhere possible. It is safe, secure and frankly just easier than pulling a credit card out of my wallet at times. Now that I can pay with Pay in some of the apps I use like Instacart and OpenTable, it will make it just that much easier for me. If you haven’t given it a try, now is a good time to do it.
