Mobile payment solutions have gotten off to a bit of a slow start, but over the years they have gradually begun to gain some popularity. The way they typically work is by using a mobile device to beam payment information into a credit card terminal at the point of sale (usually via Near-Field Communication aka NFC). Google Wallet was one of the first widely available mobile payment options but was slowed down by obstacles such as having their app blocked by carriers trying to push their own competing products. Eventually, Google Wallet moved to the web to become a web-based payment solution for online purchases, making way for Android Pay to replace Google Wallet’s in-store functionality.
Android Pay works a bit differently than Google Wallet, and the process of adding cards now, unfortunately, excludes credit card companies that haven’t partnered with Google to make their cards compatible. Fortunately, Google offered a grace period to allow those with unsupported cards time to adjust. But that additional time is now coming to an end, and as of October 14, 2016, those cards will now longer work with Android Pay. If you’re not sure whether your card is supported, it’s easy to check. Simply go into the app, select the payment card you want to check, and look for a message that says “Change Google Payments PIN”. If you don’t see it then your card should continue to work going forward, but if you do see the message, that means your card will be among those that will lose Android Pay support later this month.
If you happen to be using a card that will no longer work with Android Pay, don’t despair. Google is continuously expanding the list of cards that will work with their service, and recently added support for Chase Bank customers, which will expand availability a great deal. If you don’t want to wait for Google to add your card of choice, there may be other options as well. For example, those with the latest Samsung flagship devices can use Samsung Pay, which has the added convenience of being compatible with virtually any magnetic credit card terminal, though their selection of credit card partners is also somewhat limited. Either way, if you’re currently an Android Pay user with an unsupported card it’s time to take a look at some other options or prepare yourself to check out in stores the “old-fashioned” way. If you aren’t already an Android Pay user then this won’t affect you, but if you’d like to take this opportunity to give the app a try, head over to the Google Play Store (link down below).