Android Pay fans are in for some good news, especially if they also have Bank of America (BoA) debit cards.
Google's Pali Bhat, Android Pay senior director, and Bank of America's Michelle Moore, head of digital banking, took the stage at Google I/O 2016 to announce that Android Pay is finally ready to work at BoA's cardless ATMs.
With the new functionality enabled, users will be able to withdraw cash from select BoA ATMs without even reaching for their wallets. Instead of pulling out their plastic cards, they can just use their smartphones with Android Pay.
Bank of America kicked off its anti-plastic campaign earlier this year, activating a number of cardless ATMs in select locations such as Silicon Valley, NYC, Boston, San Francisco and Charlotte. A wider rollout is yet to occur, but it's still a notable effort that makes the whole process more convenient.
While BoA customers can already withdraw cash from cardless ATMs through the bank's own digital wallet app, Android Pay support is a nice addition. Withdrawing cash is not the only operation users can perform with Android Pay at cardless ATMs. They can also transfer funds and check their balance using a digital wallet stored on their mobile device.
"Consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices to manage their daily lives, and we're committed to delivering solutions that give them convenient and secure options when it comes to managing their money," said Moore. "Now in addition to using digital wallets for purchases, customers can use them to get cash at the ATM."
Needless to mention, this feature requires NFC to work, as that's how Android Pay works its magic.
Bank of America plans to activate even more cardless ATMs across the nation, aiming to have a total of 5,000 machines by the end of the year. The effort will start this month with the rollout of 2,400 cardless ATMs, most of which will be located in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay areas.
Mobile banking is clearly on the rise, and it's good to see major players keeping up with the times and rolling out increasingly useful functionality. Android Pay, for its part, is yet to hit more global markets, but it recently landed in the UK and more countries are set to follow.
