When it comes to mobile payments it feels as if these have always been on their way to market, but they’re always just a little out of reach. Or at least, that’s how many of our readers might feel across the pond in the UK, because while the US has had Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay the UK has to make do with just Apple Pay, having launched a while ago. Not too long ago though, Google announced their launch partners for Android Pay in the UK, and now, there’s more evidence that Android Pay is about go live in the UK very, very shortly.
UK Newspaper, The Telegraph, has spotted signs that Android Pay is being excepted in a Pret A Manger store, a popular chain of coffee shops in the UK. The store in question told the paper that the cards were to be put out on display starting May 13th, which could suggest that Android Pay is to go live at any moment. However, the timing is of course a little curious, what with Google I/O kicking off next Wednesday, May 18th. A major expansion of Android Pay into Europe as well as elsewhere is more than likely the sort of thing that Google would save for their keynote address at Google I/O, but there’s the possibility the service will go live over the weekend, too.
When Android Pay launches in the UK, the following banks will be supported by the service; Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA and Nationwide Building Society. It will also be available to those using Transport for London’s contactless payments system as well as available in a huge amount of stores up and down the country. For users running Android across the pond, they will be thinking “about time” as those in the States have enjoyed the system for some time now. Notable by their absence in the above list is Barclays, which is famous for trying their own contactless payments, and just this week introduced a new smartphone-based feature for Android users, which suggests that they’re not looking to adopt Android Pay any time soon, sadly.