Android Pay
 | |
| Original author(s) | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | |
| Initial release | September 11, 2015 |
| Operating system | Android Marshmallow |
| Platform | Android |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website |
android |
Android Pay is a digital wallet platform developed by Google to power in-app and tap-to-pay purchases on mobile devices. Enabling users to make payments with Android phones, tablets or watches. Android Pay does not require specific contactless payment terminals, and can work with existing terminals. Android Pay uses near field communication (NFC) to transmit card information facilitating funds transfer to the retailer.
Service
Android Pay lets mobile devices make payments at contactless points of sale and in Android apps. It replaces the credit or debit card chip and PIN or magnetic stripe transaction at point-of-sale terminals by allowing the user to upload these in the Android Pay wallet. It is similar to contactless payments already used in many countries, with the addition of two-factor authentication. The service lets Android devices wirelessly communicate with point of sale systems using a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a "dedicated chip that stores encrypted payment information" (known as the Secure Element), and Android's security and Wallet.[1]
Security and card information
Android Pay takes advantage of physical security such as fingerprint ID where available. On devices without fingerprint ID, Android Pay is activated with a passcode.
When the user makes a payment to a merchant, Android Pay does not send the credit or debit card number with the payment. Instead it generates a virtual account number representing the user's account information. This service keeps customer payment information private, sending a one-time security code instead of the card or user details.[1]
Using the service
Users can add payment cards to the service by taking a photo of the card, or by entering the card information manually. To pay at points of sale, users hold their authenticated device to the point of sale system. The service has smart-authentication, allowing the system to detect when the device is considered secure (for instance if unlocked in the last 5-minutes) and challenge if necessary for unlock information.[2] Spring CEO Alan Tisch said Android Pay improves Mobile shopping business by supporting a "buy button" powered by Android Pay integrated within vendor's creative design. [3]
Availability
At launch, the service was compatible with 70% of Android devices, and was accepted at over 700,000 merchants. [1]
It is currently available in the United States. It will be available in the UK in July 2016[4] and in Australia in 2016.[5][6]
History
Android Pay was released at Google I/O 2015. Android Pay is a successor to and builds on the base established by Google Wallet which was released in 2011.[7] It also uses technology from the carrier-backed Softcard—Google had acquired its intellectual property in February 2015.[1][8]
Google Wallet still powers Web-based Play Store purchases and some app-based peer-to-peer payments, for instance in Gmail.[1]
In 2016, Google began a public trial in Silicon Valley of a related app called Hands Free. In this system, the customer does not need to present a phone or card. Instead, a customer announces they wish to "pay with Google" and give their initials to the cashier, who verifies their identity with a photo previously uploaded to the system. The customer's phone will only authorize payment if its geographic location system indicates it is near a participating store.[9][10]
External links
- Technical description of a contactless transaction
- A very comprehensive technical overview of contactless
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Google introduces Android Pay, a replacement for its wallet app on mobile". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ↑ WalletAPI, (2015). Fingerprint and payments APIs (100 Days of Google Dev) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOn7VrTRlA4&feature=youtu.be&t=2m59s.
- ↑ "Google introduces Android Pay, a replacement for its wallet app on mobile". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ↑ http://officialandroid.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/tap-pay-uk.html
- ↑ http://google-au.blogspot.com/2015/12/tap-pay-down-under.html
- ↑ http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/12/16/900-dollarydoos-android-pay-is-coming-to-australia-in-2016/
- ↑ Google-WalletYT, (2011). Google Wallet Product Launch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am8t6iZ7up0.
- ↑ "Softcard is shutting down on March 31st, and Google Wallet will replace it". The Verge. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
- ↑ http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/02/google-experiments-with-a-way-to-pay-without-taking-out-your-phone/
- ↑ http://googlecommerce.blogspot.com/2016/03/testing-testing-one-two-hands-free.html
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||