Android Pay Adopted By Santander, NatWest, RBS And Ulster Bank To Chase Apple Pay

Android Pay has been adopted by NatWest, Santander, RBS and Ulster Bank, allowing Google’s contactless smartphone payment service to snap at the heels of Apple Pay.

Aside from TSB and Barclays, which has a habit of going its on way initially with new payment technologies, all of the UK’s major banks now accept Android Pay. However, TSB is expected to support Android Pay towards the end of the month.

Android Pay launched back in May, lagging behind Apple Pay which went live in Britain nearly a year earlier in July 2015.

Contactless payment future

Launching without the support of the major banks meant Android Pay adoption by consumers was initially slow. But as more banks enabled payments using their cards via Android Pay, its adoption increased.

Furthermore, with the likes of Transport for London accepting contactless mobile payments, the awareness of Google’s and Apple’s smartphone payment services was accelerated.

Google also helps sweeten the deal for Android Pay adopters, as once they sign up to the service they gain access to Android Pay Day, which offers discounts every month on the Tuesday before a user’s pay day.

While Android Pay and Apple Pay are the front runners in the mobile payments arena, there is a third player in the form of Samsung Pay, though it has yet to launch in the UK despite being expected to arrive sometime in 2016.

With more services launching to the market, the use of mobile contactless payments is set to surge in the UK.