Google, Inc. recently announced that its Android Pay system had arrived in Ireland.
Customers with Android phones will be able to download the app from Google Play, add a credit card, and use it at retailers in Ireland that accept contactless payments, such as Tesco, Spar, Eason, and McDonald's.
The app doesn't have to be open, and the phone doesn't have to be unlocked. Customers can 'wake up' their phone and hold it to the payment terminal. After checkout, the phone will provide information about recent transactions.
Online shoppers can use the Android Pay app to purchase items from mobile apps such as Deliveroo or catch a ride on Uber.
Google has downplayed any security fears, claiming that it is safer than using a plastic card.
If a phone is lost or stolen, users can lock the device, create a new password, or wipe it clean of personal details, digitally, using Android Device Manager.
Contactless cash is becoming more prevalent, globally. Retailers such as Carrefour Belgium and Morrisons in the UK have introduced contactless cash payments.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Karen Henderson. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
