Google pushes into mobile payment with Android Pay launch in U.S.

Google’s Android Pay rolled out Thursday to U.S. customers in more than 1 million locations, becoming the latest system to allow consumers to tap their phones to pay for purchases at retailers. The tap-to-pay system was announced earlier this year as part of an effort to ramp up the Android challenge to Apple, which has a similar system for iPhones.

We’ll be rolling out gradually over the next few days, and this is just the beginning. We will continue to add even more features, banks and store locations in the coming months, making it even easier to pay with your Android phone.

Product manager Pali Bhat

Google Wallet, the company’s first attempt in mobile payments, flopped because it didn’t have a big enough network of compatible devices and wireless carriers willing to work with it. Softcard, a rival effort by Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, also got little traction. Google Inc. bought much of Softcard’s technology and is combining the two to form Android Pay.

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