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Apple is reportedly working on peer-to-peer payments
Apple is reportedly in negotiations with US banks to create a mobile personal payment platform that would compete with PayPal's popular Venmo app. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources close to the talks, states that discussions are currently ongoing though there's no confirmation that any banks have actually signed on yet. Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo and Bank have all been named as potential partners.
Android Pay reaches Google Play, ready for all in the US
Sure, Android Pay started its slow rollout last week, but with Google's staged distribution you probably didn't have it yet. Now, the Android team has announced it's officially available on Google Play, so if you live in the US, you should have it on your NFC-equipped phone with Android 4.4 or higher, replacing the old Google Wallet app. Just add a card and you'll be ready to tap-to-pay (even if you were already set up with Wallet). Of course, even with the slow rollout, some people have had issues with compatibility, using the app on rooted phones or receiving errant messages about unsupported cards. Some of those may be fixed if you have the latest version of Google Play Services, so check that first, while others like fingerprint verification need Android Marshmallow.
Android Pay is available starting today
Android Pay, Google's tap-to-pay smartphone wallet, starts rolling out today, the company announced in a blog post. Android Pay will gradually hit all compatible devices over the next few days and it's accepted at more than 1 million locations across the US, including Toys 'R' Us, GameStop, Panera, Walgreens, Macy's, Subway and Whole Foods. Android Pay stores your credit, debit, gift and loyalty cards, and allows users to pay simply by unlocking their phones and placing them near an NFC-connected terminal. Yeah, it's a bit like Apple Pay.
Google's new Wallet app makes its way to the Play Store
Google has clothed its Wallet app in a pleasant green hue, made it look crisper, and then sent it to the Play Store with its edgier (literally) new logo. In fact, Mountain View has released it as a brand new download instead of as an update to the old app, most likely to prepare for Android Pay's arrival. This way, people can continue using the revamped Wallet app for peer-to-peer payments, even after Google transforms the old one into Android Pay through the latest mobile platform to instantly turn everyone into users.
Android Pay coming to US on August 26th, according to McDonald's
It's hard to get super excited about mobile payments, but Android Pay will give a large number of folks a new way to pay for things. A new document from McDonald's unearthed by Android Police shows that the restaurant chain is preparing its employees to accept Android Pay starting on August 26th. Separately, another employee posted a photo on Reddit showing a similar document. For its part, Google has only said that Android Pay will arrive at the same time as Android 6 "Marshmallow," but has yet to reveal the date.
Verizon is still 'evaluating' support for Samsung Pay
We hope you weren't planning to use your Verizon-badged Galaxy S6 or Note 5 with Samsung Pay on September 28th... you might be disappointed. Big Red notes that it's still in the "process of evaluating" Samsung Pay while AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular have already pledged support. This doesn't rule out Verizon offering Samsung Pay on launch, but we wouldn't count on it given how carrier approval processes are seldom swift -- just ask anyone who waited months for a Verizon-ready Nexus 6.
Rite Aid to start accepting Apple Pay and other mobile payments
Nearly a year after shutting off support for Apple Pay and other NFC-based payments, Rite Aid has announced that will be changing soon. On August 15th, the drug store is set to begin accepting mobile checkouts at around 4,600 locations across the US. This includes Apple Pay, Google Wallet and, in the future, Android Pay. Last year, Rite Aid along with CVS pulled support for these type of payment solutions due to contractual ties with the Merchant Customer Exchange, a retailer group that has its own wallet system called CurrentC -- though it relies on QR codes, which is arguably an outdated method in 2015. Now there's an excuse to pull out your Apple Watch the next time you're at Rite Aid, buying shampoo or whatever it is you get there.
With Android Pay, Google gets mobile payments right
Even though Google started the whole mobile payment thing years ago with Google Wallet, it never really took off with the masses. Google's newly announced Android Pay, however, might. Just like Google Wallet, Android Pay lets you simply tap your phone on an NFC terminal to make a purchase, but with a little less hassle -- there's no need to enter in a PIN to enable payments. In addition, Google is also allowing Android Pay to be integrated in apps like Lyft, Grubhub and Wish, so users can easily use that to pay for things. I just used Android Pay here at Google I/O, and I can say this: If it's as easy to use in real life, then I suspect mobile payments are about to be a lot more ubiquitous.
Google wants you to buy Big Macs with your face
Google may have been the first big tech company to push NFC payments, but it was Apple Pay that got the public excited about buying things with your smartphone. At a Google I/O session for Android Pay, the search giant announced that it was partnering with McDonalds and Papa John's Pizza to launch Hands Free, a payment system that looks suspiciously like the Pay with Square app (later called Square Wallet and discontinued). Customers walk in a store and say, "I'd like to pay with Google," and the cashier will see a photo of the customer and their name on their point-of-sale system. The service is initially launching in San Francisco in the coming months and those interested can sign up for the beta here. Details about the geofencing payment service are sparse, but it should use cards stored in the upcoming Android Pay.
Android Pay will arrive with Android M, handle payments via NFC
Google SVP Sundar Pichai may have tipped the company's hand on mobile payments back in Barcelona, but he offered little detail on how the system would work. At I/O 2015, though, the folks in Mountain View served up a wealth of details on the matter, including the announcement that Android Pay would be part of the Android M release. Just like Apple Pay, transactions are sorted via NFC and your actual card number isn't shared with merchants. Instead, it'll use "a virtual account number" to handle payments. When it arrives, the system will be employed by over 700,000 retailers (sounds familiar) like Macy's, Whole Foods, Walgreen's and many more. It'll also be used for in-app purchases, so if you're ordering food from Chipotle or paying for an Uber ride, you'll be able to use Android Pay there as well. And yes, web sellers can leverage the system, too.
Android Pay's arrival means a new direction for Google Wallet
As we suspected, you'll be hearing more about the new Android Pay setup -- announced a couple of months ago during Mobile World Congress -- during the Google I/O event this week. According to a New York Times report, Android Pay will let retailers take payments from inside their mobile apps, use it at brick-and-mortar retail locations, and automatically update the customer's status in store loyalty programs. Like Google, retailers are interested in using those loyalty programs to track trends among their customers, and the report goes on to claim that Apple Pay will add a similar tie-in within the next month or so. So what will become of Google Wallet? Apparently, it will be reintroduced with a focus on sending money directly between two people to go along with being preinstalled on carrier phones. The mobile payment wars are just beginning, and potential competitors like Facebook and Samsung have their own plans too -- expect more details from all sides soon. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Google's new mobile payment platform is called Android Pay
It's shaping up to be a big year for mobile payments, what with Apple Pay enjoying rapid adoption and Samsung finally getting in the game too. Google also has a presence, but it's only very recently decided to ramp up its efforts in this space. Last week, we saw the company team up with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile to preload its Wallet mobile payment app on new Android phones, and now it's creating a new framework to power payments across its OS.
