Months after teasing that Android Pay was coming soon to the UK, the official launch has arrived.
Android Pay is now live in the UK with support for stores like Boots, Starbucks, and Waitrose, as well as the ability to play for the Tube, bus, and train using Transport for London. Android Pay will also work at any businesses that already offer contactless payment terminals, which should be quite a few since Google says that the UK is “one of the most advanced contactless nations in the world.” Some of the UK banks on board with Android Pay at launch include Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA, and Nationwide Building Society.
In addition to paying for things out in the world, Android users in the UK will be able to use Android Pay to pay for things inside of apps like JD Sports, Deliver, YPlan, and more.
Rounding out the Android Pay launch in UK is Android Pay Day. With it, Google will include special offers to Android Pay users, with Starbucks and Deliveroo being the first to take part in Android Pay Day.
Google also announced today that Android Pay will soon launch in Singapore and Australia and that it’ll continue to add more countries, features, banks, and stores to Android Pay in the coming months.
Today’s launch of Android Pay in the UK is big for Google. If Google wants to help Android Pay gain the traction with consumers that Google Wallet never did, it needs to continue to expand Android Pay’s availability and bank support. Previously, Android Pay was only available in the US, and so it’s good to see the service making its way to another major country.
If you’re in the UK and you’ve got an Android phone, hit up Google Play to get the Android Pay app and get your mobile payment game going.
