Android Pay FAQ: Everything you demand to know about Google's mobile payment organization

We cover everything from setting upwards Android Pay, using it every bit your go-to payment tool, and fifty-fifty saving all of your loyalty and rewards offers.

Top Deals On Great Products

Picked by Techconnect'southward Editors

The promise of mobile payments is that y'all'll never need your wallet once again. But a tap on the payment terminal with your smartphone will become you everything from movie tickets to groceries.

In reality, we're nowhere near ubiquity when it comes to ushering in this plastic-card gratuitous future. Only later on more than a yr of substantial updates, Google is in a much better position to leverage Android Pay. If you buy in, you lot'll detect it'due south not just a better mode to pay for stuff, but you lot become the added benefit of a convenient digital container for all of your loyalty and gift cards.

Optimizing Android Pay for everyday life takes a footling bit of try, simply the payoff is worth pushing through the details.

How does it work?

Android Pay uses NFC communication to make a secure credit/debit card transaction betwixt your smartphone and the payment terminal. Yous'll be prompted to tap your phone to the contactless payment terminal when it'southward your turn at the counter.

android pay chase Official Android Web log

Use your phone to pay at a supported NFC terminal.

Your default card (more on that later) will then exist used to extract the coin. Depending upon the arrangement beingness used, you may have to enter your card'due south Pivot on the payment terminal's keypad. You lot'll get a push button notification when the transaction is finished and the clerk will transport you lot on your style. This peppy video from Google exaggerates things a chip, merely in general it makes the betoken nearly how paying with your telephone can be faster.

Which banks piece of work with Android Pay?

At that place'south a very large and growing list of supported banks and credit card companies, so if you lot're with 1 of the larger institutions then you should exist able to become going without any problems. Lately, a whole host of regional banks and credit unions have added back up, and so odds are skilful that at least one of your cards is covered.

However, you'll want to check the details. Wells Fargo, for example, works with Visa simply doesn't back up MasterCard or "co-branded" cards (those that are done in partnership between a bank and some other retailer for rewards points). Also, Capital Ane is a mixed handbag. Consumer debit, credit, and MasterCards work, but partnership credit, non-Visa credit, and non-U.S. cards won't piece of work.

If your card is one of the lucky ones, tap Add together a credit or debit card and you lot'll exist prompted to browse it and enter the three-digit code on the back.

android pay add card

You can add together a debit, credit, souvenir, or loyalty card to Android Pay.

Android Pay handles multiple cards and allows you lot to cull which one to use equally the default. If y'all're running an Android seven.1 device, you can use an app shortcut to jump correct to a specific menu if you want to utilize that for a certain transaction.

android pay quick launch

Launch a specific card from your dwelling screen.

If you have multiple cards, there'due south probably one you lot utilize more than the others. You can set that carte equally the default. Bear upon that card inside of the Android Pay app, and so curl downward and selectFix equally default carte du jour.

android pay make card default

Whatever of your cards can be set up as the default.

This is the same spot where you can remove a card if you're no longer with that bank.

What phones does it piece of work with?

Android Pay works with Android phones running KitKat (four.4) and above that include NFC. Nearly major and budget smartphones released in the final few years should accept this, but double check the spec sheet on your device to ensure that you lot're good to go. You tin check in your telephone's Settings to encounter if NFC is enabled.

Brand sure this is flipped on so yous can get going with Android Pay.

A fingerprint sensor is not required, but without one you'll accept to unlock your phone with its Pivot or pattern every fourth dimension you try to brand a transaction.

Where can I use it?

Android Pay is accepted at most major retailers or anywhere you encounter the post-obit symbol:

android pay accepted here

Look for either the Android Pay or NFC payment symbol.

Anywhere that takes contactless payments should work for you. Note that you lot'll sometimes see the contactless payment symbol on a payment terminal simply it won't be enabled.

What almost in-app purchases?

Yes, Android Pay can work there also. For case, Uber, Dunkin' Donuts, and Fancy all tin connect your payments from their app through Android Pay.

android pay uber Android Pay

Uber is one of several apps that integrate directly with Android Pay.

For case, when your Uber ride is finished y'all'll be debited from the default Android Pay card. The reward of using Android Pay is that y'all don't have to re-enter your credit carte information for each app where you're likely to spend coin.

In-app payments with Android Pay is supported on an app-past-app basis, though. The list is includes some of the virtually popular retail and service apps.

How about on the web?

Aye, Android Pay tin can work with merchants that support this feature. You'll need to be using Chrome and i of a handful of supported merchants.

android pay chrome browser The Keyword

Sites like Groupon now back up Android Pay on the web if you're using Chrome.

Google says that Groupon.com and 1-800-Flowers.com support the feature, while more are coming down the line. Chrome has long included a capability to relieve a credit carte, but this goes a footstep further by tying online payments directly to Android Pay.

So is Android Pay different from Google Wallet?

Yes. Google Wallet got ye ol' "Google Pivot" and is now strictly focused on peer-to-peer payments, just like Venmo or Paypal. It's a completely separate service. Still, information technology works very well for sending and receiving money without any fees. Recommended for your fantasy league.

How is information technology different from Apple tree Pay?

Apple Pay requires a retailer with specific final that supports Android Pay—just any ol' NFC terminal won't necessarily practise information technology. Additionally, Apple Pay only works with iPhone six and above, every bit a fingerprint sensor is required. On Android, a Pin, password, or pattern will work if y'all have a phone that doesn't have a fingerprint sensor.

Apple Pay also lets you pay with the Apple Sentry, while Android Pay doesn't yet support tapping your lookout man to the payment final.

What about compared to Samsung Pay?

The major claim to fame for Samsung Pay information technology that, in add-on to NFC, it tin use Magnetic Secure Manual (MST), which allows you to pay with your telephone at terminals that don't support NFC. It tricks the "swipe your card" reader into thinking information technology has swiped your Samsung Pay card. The downside is that information technology merely works with a limited number of Samsung smartphones: the Galaxy S6 (and variants), Galaxy S7 (and variants), and Note5. It at present works with the Gear S3 scout, too.

It it secure?

Android Pay sends a virtual business relationship number to the merchant, and so your actual credit card details aren't shared. The major deviation between Google and Apple's payment techniques is that Apple Pay uses a Secure Element, which lives on a physical bit inside the phone for storing encrypted financial data. Android Pay, just as Google Wallet did, uses Host Card Emulation. In Google fashion, this ways the encrypted information is stored in the deject.

Android Pay will require you to have a screen lock on your phone so that no one tin swipe your phone and so start racking up your card. Nevertheless, you should always use good security practices and monitor your account to ensure that goose egg unseemly has taken place.

Considering the retailers gets a quondam use token to a virtual carte du jour, your actual credit card details are safety. If a hacker compromises the retailers payment organisation, they tin't actually steal anything useful. So paying with Android Pay is far more secure than using your real credit card.

How do I add together a gift card?

Touch on the floating action button and so choose Add a store gift card. Search for the store, which is probably in the list if information technology'due south a major chain. If the bill of fare is for a small store non in the database, you'll demand to hold onto it.

Nevertheless, if you're adding a card for something similar Best Buy or Target and then you can scan it and y'all'll have a digital copy inside of your Android Pay app. Expect a push notification when you are in or almost the store where you can redeem information technology.

peets android pay gift card

That souvenir card you've had for two months doesn't demand to get lost in your drawer if you keep it in Android Pay.

Pro tip: you'll want to delete the card 1 you're done with it. Otherwise you'll receive notifications in perpetuity even afterward you've used upwards the balance.

How do I add a loyalty card?

The process is very similar. Touch the floating action button, find your shop, and so scan the carte. You'll then have a digital barcode at the ready and the details of your loyalty program, so you can ditch that giant keychain total of loyalty cards.

add best buy card

Scan a loyalty or gift card so it's always with you.

The app will ping y'all when you walk into a shop where yous've registered a loyalty program. This mode you can swipe downward and show the card correct from the abode screen. Most retailers now just take your phone number, but this can serve every bit a reminder that you should rack upwards points with your purchase.

Does it work with Android Wear?

Not really. At this point all you lot get is a notification that you've made a payment or when you enter a store where you can utilise Android Pay. There have been rumors about existence able to pay with your wrist slice Apple Picket way, but we'll have to expect for Android Wear ii.0 to come across if this comes to fruition.

Annotation: When you buy something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a pocket-size committee. Read our chapter link policy for more details.

Derek Walter is a freelance technology writer based in Northern California. He is the author of Learning MIT App Inventor, a easily-on guide to building your own Android apps.