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Google planning to launch m-payment service in Australia, Singapore next.
The U.K. on Wednesday became the second market to get Google’s Android Pay service, eight months after its U.S. debut.
Customers will be able to use the service, underpinned by near field communications (NFC), everywhere that contactless payments are currently accepted. This includes some big high street names, as well as London’s public transport system.
Users are required to have an eligible MasterCard or Visa credit or debit card issued by one of Android Pay’s supported banks, which include Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA, or Nationwide Building Society.
That list has some major retail banks missing, including Barclays, Natwest, and Santander; however, Google said new banks are "being added all the time."
Indeed, according to a Telegraph report on Wednesday, Natwest and Santander plan to add Android Pay support in the near future. However, Barclays is pushing its own m-payment service, and therefore it currently has no plans to throw its weight behind Android Pay.
Google described the U.K. as "one of the most advanced contactless nations in the world."
According to the UK Cards Association, a lobby group representing the card payment sector, there were 84.2 million contactless cards in the U.K.; 58.9 million of which are debit, while 25.3 million are credit or prepaid cards.
The industry association said £1.32 billion (€1.71 billion) was spent in the U.K. in February using contactless cards, up 306.8% year-on-year.
In addition, eMarketer predicts the value of NFC payments will reach £9.78 billion in the U.K. in 2016.
Meanwhile, Google plans to extend the reach of Android Pay further.
"Android Pay will soon be available in Singapore and Australia. And we will continue to add more countries, features, banks and store in the coming months – making it even easier to pay with your Android phone around the globe," the company said.
