Earlier this week Google started sending out updates to Play Services bringing users forward to version 8.1.02. While there were a few changes of note the most important that they were adding in bits to lay the framework for the upcoming mobile payments solution known as Android Pay. Thus far Android Pay hasn’t officially launched, and the app itself is not available in the Play Store. Despite this many users began to get excited when various Google retail partners began to start posting notices that they would begin supporting Android Pay as an accepted payment last Wednesday. Without any confirmation from Google, last Wednesday came and went and Android Pay was not officially launched.
There still hasn’t been any confirmation about the app and service launching so one would assume that it shouldn’t be working for users. One individual seems to have it working on their device however after updating to latest Google Play Services version which is 8.1.05 as of September 1st, and has posted a video up to YouTube showing him making a payment at Staples. The video is fairly short but if you watch until about the 13-second mark you can hear the payment kiosk beep, and then the phone displays that the payment was accepted. A second later it displays the card used on the phone screen with the Android Pay logo appearing right above it.
The user, known as dasbooth on reddit where this video was linked states that it was also working at Braum’s, so it was working in at least two different businesses. In the Play Services update from earlier this week users were able to initiate the setup screen for Android Pay but it would kick back an error and wouldn’t allow users to add cards to the app. That of course, was for the earlier version of Play Services so the difference could be in this slightly updated version posted from just a couple days ago. At least one or two other people have commented on the reddit thread that they were also able to get to the setup screen and have Android Pay accept a card, with another user mentioning that Android Pay has now shown up for them under the Tap and Pay options menu within settings. Although this doesn’t seem to be widespread, it would perhaps seem to suggest that maybe the launch is close. Also, a separate reddit thread from last week gives a description of how one user was able to get Android Pay installed by using Nova Launcher to add an activity to the homescreen. You can also check out the gallery of images below which displays Android Pay set up on my personal device using the same method described in the link above.
https://youtu.be/fruR-3AcGRc