Google forged new partnerships to integrate its Android Pay into the mobile apps of various banks, aiming to make things more convenient.
Android Pay is Google's answer to Apple Pay and other such mobile payment solutions and it has been gradually improving its offering. With the latest move, Google has now teamed up with five banks to integrate Android Pay into their own apps, thus eliminating the need to use the official Android Pay app separately.
For now, the integration will be available with the mobile banking apps of USAA, Bank of America, Discover, Bank of New Zealand, and mBank. More banks will surely join the fray in the future, but this nonetheless marks a major milestone as it is the first time that Android Pay is available within other mobile banking apps.
Android Pay Integration With Mobile Banking Apps
Customers of the aforementioned banks that have teamed up with Google can use the banks's mobile app to easily add cards to Android Pay with just one click. Once the setup is complete, customers will be able to use their smartphone to tap and pay at a slew of stores that support it, as well as various apps and on the web, wherever the Android Pay button is available.
Thanks to the new partnerships, Google now allows users to enjoy the perks of its mobile payment solution even if they don't have the Android Pay app downloaded. This makes things easier and more convenient, as users can simply manage their cards and choices on their phone without having to install multiple apps to handle their finances.
"This latest collaboration with banks expands Android Pay's capabilities as an open platform, and moves us closer toward our goal of empowering mobile payments everywhere," says Google. "We're continuing to integrate with additional mobile banking apps, so look for updates from your bank about this new feature."
Android Pay Adoption
The integration may vary depending on each bank's mobile app, but overall it aims to facilitate adding cards to Android Pay from the banking app itself. Users are not the only ones to benefit from this move, however. With this integration, Android Pay can now reach a wider audience, as people who don't have Android Pay installed could notice the new option in the banking app they regularly use. This could spark their interest to try out Android Pay for the first time and, if all goes well, continue using it in the future.
Boosting Android Pay adoption is essential as Google is competing against Apple Pay, which so far has proved to be more popular. Apple Pay has seen impressive growth year-over-year and although Android Pay and Samsung Pay have been growing as well, they don't quite match up yet. This new Android Pay integration could go a long way toward increasing its reach and adoption.
Lastly, Google points out that the Android Pay integration with banking apps works even if users don't have the standalone Android Pay app installed. At the same time, it's worth highlighting that while users can manage their bank card choices through the app of their bank, it's limited to the cards pertaining to the particular bank. For instance, you can't delete a Bank of America card from the Discover app, as you'd have to do it from the Bank of America app.
