Bye Google Wallet, Hello Android Pay

Android Pay will now be the official platform to make purchases in-stores (and later through apps) using your Android device. It's much closer to the current iOS service Apple Pay than its predecessor Google Wallet in terms of tighter security and hopefully more widespread adoption. Like Apple Pay, Android Pay hides the full credit card number from the vendor and if a phone is lost you can manage the device easily online to shut off the Android Pay options.

New users can access Android Pay through Google Play or find it preinstalled on NFC-enabled Android phones from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. In their announcement, Google listed Whole Foods, GameStop, Jamba Juice, Rite Aid and Macy's among some of the early adopters of Android Pay.

If you'd like to accept Android Pay contact their payment providers to get a standard contactless-enabled point of sale terminal. Google expects users to be able to use Android Pay for in-app purchases towards the end of the year and the site for developers can be found here. As it's further rolled out we'll keep you posted.