Android Pay is Google’s approach to mobile payments and while it is not one which is as accommodating as the likes of Samsung Pay, it is one which is available on a much wider number of Android smartphones and is one which is growing in its usage. Speaking of which, the latest example of the expansion of the mobile payment solution was detailed today by Google when the company announced a new partnership for Android Pay with Visa and MasterCard.
While Android Pay is more commonly thought of as a payment method that is used while out and about, such payments are not the extent to what Android Pay can do and this latest announcement details how the agreement with Visa and MasterCard will benefit users who often shop online using their mobile phone. According to the details, when the new support goes live, “hundreds of thousands” of sites that are currently supported by either Visa Checkout or Masterpass will be able to make use of Android Pay.
Which does mean that when checking out through those sites, the user will simply be able to use their device (and the added aspects of security – like fingerprint identification) to checkout instead of going through the Visa Checkout or Masterpass links and manually entering the information and/or usernames and password. So the entire process of buying goods online will not only be easier, but will be more secure due to added requirements in place when using Android Pay. Of course, this will mean that your Visa Checkout or Masterpass accounts will first need to be synced with your Android Pay account.
In short, the bulk of the announcement details that Visa Checkout and Masterpass customers will soon have the option to use Android Pay in stores and online in much the same way. Unfortunately, while the announcement does detail that an agreement between the parties has been made and the support is coming, the new announcement does not specify exactly when the new support will be added. Instead, it is said that Android Pay users can expect to see the support for Visa Checkout and Masterpass to go live in “early 2017”.