Google's Android Pay Mobile Payments Service Arrives In US

An anonymous reader writes: Google is rolling out its digital payment system Android Pay in the U.S. today. The new system will allow users to make payments in stores using their phone. Existing users of the Google Wallet app can access Android Pay through an update. According to the blog post: "Android Pay works with all NFC-enabled Android devices (running KitKat 4.4+), on any mobile carrier, at every tap and pay ready location across the US. Android Pay will support credit and debit cards from the four major payment networks: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa. These cards are issued by many of the most popular US banks and credit unions, including American Express, Bank of America, Discover, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, Regions Bank, USAA, and U.S. Bank. Wells Fargo will be available in the next few days, Capital One and Citi are coming soon, and we're adding new banks all the time."

Comments

Has this ever happened to you?

[linuxguy]

There have been a couple of times when I left home without my wallet and went to the store and realized, oh crap, no wallet. But I had my phone on me. For those times, it certainly would be convenient to have the ability to pay with my phone.

Oh and another big one. Receipts. Freaking lots of them. I would much rather have all that in a neat list inside my phone that I can pull and review. Between multiple credit cards, cash and checks etc, I would not be able to figure out how much money I spent last week or last month. But with completely electronic payments, things get a lot more manageable.

This service is obviously not for the paranoid who think that Google and Feds already have too much of their information. They probably should stick to paper money.

Re:Go Google!

[TheGratefulNet]

HOW many android handsets are technically unsecure? most? more than half? at least half won't ever get critical updates.

but google CARES about you! yes sir, yes they do.

I'd certainly co-mingle my money and the google goliath. yup. what would possibly go wrong?

seriously - I'm gobsmacked by how trusting people are when new risky technology 'solutions' come out. its like they can't WAIT to get raped and fucked over by some security bug or hacker break-in.

and no, I would not trust apple, either, with my money or wallet. sounds pretty stupid. we already have payment methods that mostly work and have mostly been secured. even after decades, they are still not super secure, but at least they're understood and very standardized.

unless there's a compelling reason to trust a google or an apple with my money, WHY EVEN DO IT AT ALL?

I guess I just don't understand the lure of newfangled and UNTRUSTED things. things with no serious history and from companies that could give two shits about their userbase, truth be told.