Newsroom

August 28, 2015

Google to launch Android Pay 'soon'

Google tweeted last week that those waiting for its mobile wallet app, Android Pay, to launch should "stay tuned" for an announcement "soon."

The launch was originally expected on August 26, due to a leaked document. Mobile World Live theorized the app might be launched in October with an update to the Android OS. Google has drafted agreements with American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Navy Federal Credit Union, Bank of America, and several others to enable Android Pay point-of-sale purchases.

According to Gallup, only 13 percent of adults with smartphones have digital wallet apps, and 76 percent of those have only used the apps "very rarely." The Gallup poll also found that 91 percent of those who do not have digital wallets are unlikely to start using them in the next 12 months – with 55 percent of non-users cited security as a concern.

However, many small businesses are still interested in the technology. Earlier this week, a JAVELIN report showed that 36 percent of small and micro merchant respondents would be motivated to upgrade their point-of-sale terminals to EMV technology if the upgrade also included mobile payment technology.