© 2026 Arizent. All rights reserved.
Market Intelligence:
AI
Payments
All Research
Industry Data
p19u7krhff2id1bbon35108v3lt7.jpg
Visitors attend the Android operating system trade stand at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011. The Mobile World Congress takes place at Fira de Barcelona conference center Feb. 14-17. Photographer: Denis Doyle/Bloomberg
Denis Doyle/Bloomberg
Android Pay is Google's third attempt at a digital wallet, following Google Wallet and Google Checkout. How much has the technology giant learned from its past experiences?
p19u7krhfia7pd79vb4hs510gic.jpg
An attendee displays Google Inc. Android Pay icon on a mobile device for a photograph during the Google I/O Annual Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 28, 2015. Google unveiled payment services, security upgrades and access to HBO movies and shows for its popular Android software, seeking to push back against growing competition from rivals such as Apple Inc. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Build a Conduit

Android Pay is designed as a conduit for in-app payments and loyalty, rather than Google Wallet's design of being an app that stores payment cards, according to Jack Connors, who leads Google's merchant partnerships for Android Pay.
p19u7krhfh1sm7fmb1g041sbbu9ra.jpg
A logo for Google Inc.'s Android operating system is displayed on an advertising sign during the Apps World Multi-Platform Developer Show in London, U.K., on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013. Retail sales of Internet-connected wearable devices, including watches and eyeglasses, will reach $19 billion by 2018, compared with $1.4 billion this year, Juniper Research said in an Oct. 15 report. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

A Tool for Merchants

Android Pay aims to facilitate the merchant experience, not usurp it. "Mobile wallets have to offer what the merchant would and play nicely with merchant apps," Connors said at the 2015 Mobile Payments Conference.
p19u7krhfiaem1q1a13vs1h7tivd.jpg
An attendee displays Google Inc. Android Pay on a mobile device for a photograph during the Google I/O Annual Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 28, 2015. Google Inc. unveiled payment services, security upgrades and access to HBO movies and shows for its popular Android software, seeking to push back against growing competition from rivals such as Apple Inc. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Consumer Control

The Android Pay experience is also designed around putting the consumer in control of what the app sees. "We don't get any user data," Connors said. Users must proactively add gift cards and offers through a "Save to Android Pay" button.
p19u7krhfiuu5bg01pgct1s1nrvb.jpg

Plentiful Partners

Google Wallet launched with just one carrier partner and one bank partner. Android Pay will have wider support, and it will even work on handsets made by Samsung, which is building its own Samsung Pay wallet.
p19u7krhfh75qvmq9cjugf1n9l9.jpg
The Google Inc. Mobile Wallet card for cardless payment sits on display at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. The Mobile World Congress, operated by the GSMA, expects 60,000 visitors and 1400 companies to attend the four-day technology industry event which runs Feb. 27 through March 1. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Shedding Old Baggage

Google Wallet tried to be everything — it was a mobile wallet, an e-commerce checkout system and a person-to-person payment tool. Android Pay is shedding much of this to simplify its message.
p19u7krhfg9ls46m1ikr1et842r8.jpg
Wolfe, Daniel

Added Authentication

Much like Apple Pay, Android Pay will enable fingerprint authentication if it is used with a phone that has a built-in fingerprint reader.

Technology Mobile payments
MORE FROM AMERICAN BANKER
Load More