In February, Bitcoin Magazine reported Google’s preliminary statement of Android Pay. Now, at the annual Google I/O consequence on May 28 as well as 29, Google officially announced its upcoming payment platform as well as revealed to a greater extent than details.
Android Pay isn’t a split upwardly payment app, but an opened upwardly platform that enables developers to integrate mobile payments into their apps. In fact, Android Pay is built correct into the center Android operating system. It volition live on available for download from Google Play soon, as well as included inwards the side past times side version of the Android OS – dubbed Android chiliad – expected to live on released this fall.
“[W]e’ve approached Android Pay the same trend nosotros approach every other purpose of the Android trace of piece of work solid unit of measurement – partnering amongst the ecosystem – bringing together mobile carriers, payment networks, banks as well as retailers to deliver you lot selection as well as flexibility,” states the Google announcement.
Android Pay volition live on supported past times leading fiscal service providers, including American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Citi as well as Bank of America. It volition back upwardly NFC payments as well as biometric authentication tools, as well as it’s designed to live on tardily to work as well as seamlessly compatible amongst all sorts of Android apps.
“Instead of relying on you lot to charge the app as well as unlock it amongst a PIN, Android Pay lets you lot merely tap your telephone on an NFC finally to approve the purchase,” notes Nicole Lee on Engadget. “In addition, Google is also allowing Android Pay to live on integrated inwards apps similar Lyft, Grubhub as well as Wish, thence users tin easily work that to pay for things. I exactly used Android Pay hither at Google I/O, as well as I tin tell this: If it’s every bit tardily to work inwards existent life, thence I suspect mobile payments are almost to live on a lot to a greater extent than ubiquitous.”
A query that comes directly to hear is whether the novel Android Pay framework volition back upwardly bitcoin payments. Since Android Pay is non an app controlled past times Google, but a platform that tin live on used past times all app developers, cipher seems to preclude Bitcoin payment services from using Android Pay to brand bitcoin payments easier.
“To arrive easier for developers to add together Android Pay to your favorite apps, we’ve designed our platform to locomote amongst whatever payment processor,” states the Google announcement. “And we’re partnering amongst locomote past times payments processors including Braintree, CyberSource, First Data, Stripe as well as Vantiv to brand integration fifty-fifty easier.” At to the lowest degree 2 of the payment processors mentioned, Stripe as well as Braintree, integrate bitcoin payments.
“Today, the latest ‘what’s next’ was unveiled at Google I/O. Launching inwards the coming months, Android Pay volition popular off the novel mobile payment solution for consumers to brand purchases amongst their Android devices,” said Braintree’s CTO Juan Benitez. “We’re excited to part that we’ve integrated Android Pay into the v.zero SDK to arrive easier for our merchants to add together it every bit a checkout alternative inwards their Android apps. We’ve connected amongst Android Pay on our dorsum terminate to trim back the disclose of API calls as well as render a streamlined payment flow. Starting today, merchants tin sign upwardly for Braintree’s someone beta to live on produce for Android Pay. With real piffling effort, merchants volition live on able to add together Android Pay, inwards improver to credit as well as debit cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, as well as bitcoin – all amongst a unmarried integration.”