Google digital wallet and mobile payment system Android Pay has landed in Asia.
In September 2015, Android Pay was made available only in the U.S. and the service was launched in the UK in May this year. Now, Singapore will be the third country in the world to support Android Pay.
Mobile payment systems such as Android Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay are gaining popularity as they offer an easy and safe way of making payments.
"With Android Pay you can simply unlock your phone, place it near a contactless terminal, and you're good to go. You don't even need to open an app. Tap and pay is that fast, that easy," says Android.
Android Pay is compatible with Android smartphones with NFC running on Android 4.4 KitKat or above. According to Google, more than 75 percent of Android smartphones run on Android 4.4 KitKat and later.
Android Pay will support MasterCard and Visa cards from UOB, Standard Chartered, DBS, POSB and OCBC Bank in Singapore. It will also store loyalty cards, gift cards and special offers on the user's phone.
"You'll no longer need to worry about leaving them at home, plus you'll get special offers as an Android Pay user. We are also working closely with leading loyalty programmes such as NTUC Link's Plus! Rewards Programme and CapitaLand's CAPITASTAR. Users will be able to earn reward points and enjoy special offers across multiple retail outlets soon with just a tap," says Google in a blog.
In Singapore, customers will be able to use Android Pay at thousands of locations across retailer stores such as Cold Storage, BreadTalk, 7-11, StarHub, Watsons, Uniqlo and more. Check out the full list of retailers supporting Android Pay at launch in the country.
Singaporeans will be happy to get a new mobile payment service in the country but Android Pay's rivals: Samsung Pay and Apple Pay are already present in the country. However, Android Pay has an edge over its competition.
Samsung Pay works only on a handful of latest Samsung smartphones. Similarly, Apple Pay can be used only on some iDevices. However, all Android mobile phone owners with compatible handsets can use Android Pay to make payments.
In May this year, Google confirmed that Android Pay will be launched in Singapore and Australia. While the company has kept its promise and launched the service in Singapore, it remains to be seen how long Australians have to wait for the service to arrive down under.
