Google has announced that they have teamed up with several large banks globally to allow for adding your bank or credit card to Android Pay directly from your bank’s app. Today, if you want to add your card to Android Pay, you have to add it to the app, then go through an approval process of some type (typically a SMS to your mobile) to actually add the card to Pay. With this new way, while you are in your banking app, you can just tap a button to add the card to Android Pay. It cuts down on the number of taps you have to make and certainly simplifies the process.
Today there are just a handful of banks that are supported: Bank of America, Bank of New Zealand, Discover, mBank and USAA. Google indicates in the announcement on this new collaboration with banks that more will be added in the future.
I can say that in the Bank of America app, the ability to add my debit card to Android Pay is already live. To do it in that app, go to Menu>Manage Debit Card Settings. There, at the bottom of your
Add Bank Cards to Android Pay
cards, you will see a button to add the card to Android Pay.
Google is pushing hard to get the service out to as many users as possible and with easy-to-add features like this, it certainly will help that cause. As a friendly reminder, Android Pay is free and if you don’t have it installed on your NFC-compatible phone, you can install it from the Play Store. Also remember that if you see a sign that says a retailer accepts Apple Pay, they also accept Android Pay. The two services use the same technology to complete transactions.
