Google Launches Android Pay

 It's time to do away with all the confusion: Android Pay, Google's second major attempt at figuring out the mobile wallet, is ...

 It's time to do away with all the confusion: Android Pay, Google's second major attempt at figuring out the mobile wallet, is launching today. Well, it's starting to. Google says the new app will begin its rollout slowly with a small batch of users before reaching most Android phones (with NFC) running Android 4.4 KitKat or above within the next week. If you already have Google Wallet installed on your device, you'll soon be seeing an update that morphs that app into Android Pay. Google has re-released Google Wallet as a separate app now focused strictly on payments between friends and family like Square Cash and Venmo. Loyalty programs, gift cards, and offers previously stored in Wallet will now automatically move over to Android Pay.

Just like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, Android Pay allows you to make contactless payments using your smartphone  at participating retailers. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards from banks including Bank of America, US Bank, PNC, and others can be added to Android Pay starting today. Citi and Wells Fargo will begin supporting the platform within the next few days. Similar to Apple, Google says it'll be adding to the roster of banks and compatible credit / debit cards "all the time." One thing to note: if you’ve been using Google Wallet to tap and pay, there’s a chance that you’ll lose that ability with Android Pay until your individual bank is supported. This owes to the product's security measures; Android Pay is safer to use, but it requires involvement from Google's partners instead of linking any old debit card to your account.
Google says that for right now, Android Pay will be limited to tap-to-pay purchases at physical stores. The other half of the platform, which allows consumers to buy things within Android apps, isn't yet ready to launch. They'll be coming "later this year," but Google isn't specifying exactly when