Google pay

Looks like Google is merging with Android pay. Google Pay
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All I have to say is about darn time. I had google wallet for the longest time until they shut it down and android pay was a pain at times. Glad they are merging all payment systems into one unified system so I can access it anywhere and on any device using Android or Google services

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I’ve never used google pay due to having an iPhone for almost a decade now. But I think this is great news as it will facilitate and encourage more people to use it. My one main gripe with contactless payments is the max limit per transaction - currently £30. I can understand the security behind having that limit but if they increased it to maybe £100 I’d be happier.

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Ever since I got a device capable of contactless payments - an iPhone 6 - I’ve been in love with the concept.

Here in Canada we already had the system working with regular credit and debit cards - works the same way, you just tap the card on the machine for a payment within the limit - so the whole think caught up quite fast compared to some other places. The limit here is 100$ CAD - around £60 - and it’s enough for 85% of day-to-day purchases, but I do wish they could flex this limit a little, to 150$ at least.

I’ve heard Google Wallet/Android Pay had a slow start before Apple Pay arrived and increased the number of stores accepting the format in the US, so the rebranding might be a way to get over this.

I was expecting they would move to a more universal payment system. Some apps used android pay, but some very old services still used google wallet / google checkout. This will be a great convenience!

Apple Pay all the way for me but glad for you Androiders to be getting a better service.

I use Apple Pay daily and love it to bits. On both my phone and Apple Watch :watch:

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You are lucky! In Germany it could happen that you are not able to pay with credit card.

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Interesting. I work in retail and people ask if we take Apple Pay all the time. Now that this is an option, that may change!

Yeah, those places exist here too, and I understand why - the merchants pay a fee for each transaction, smaller merchants sometimes prefer to avoid this fee or simply can’t afford paying it.

It does get me into a bit of a corner: on one side, I want to support local businesses and I actively go out of my way to shop local, specially with food; on the other, I can’t deny the convenience of cards, and now paying with our phones. And I would prefer not to have any cash on me.

Good but there is a love hate in the case of Android with Google.

Google insists Android must be certified by Google, like the locked Apple platform, if you are to use Android Pay.

Google makes money from almost every app they pre installed.

Ads in YouTube, Chrome browser, in apps.

So I unlocked my bootloader, rooted vis magisk, use adaway to block ads. Iytpb for YouTube. On the Android devices I don’t use Android Pay I use Xposed and minminguard.

There is a continuous battle between Google and rooting called safety net which if it senses not stock it prevents Android Pay.

I have an Android Wear which supports Android Pay, what I ended up doing is pair with an old phone which stays home so it runs stock. My phone in my pocket is rooted

What this means is I can leave house with just my watch, pair with Soundbud Slim+ and pay for things and receive calls and messages. Battery lasts about 4 hours on LTE.

I own a small business and we pay 6 cents per transaction when debit or tap or apple or google pay is used providing the money is from debit. If the money is from visa or MasterCard the charge is 1.5 to 3% plus a transaction fee. It is much better to use debit or cash for small business


I can totally understand your point. I just think how long some shops will wait until they accept Credit Cards. I think it is one of the most important things for the next years.

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I have seen shops putting a sign by the till and saying 3% charge for Credit Card transactions.

Kinda help people get their cash out and some just care and pay the extra so your costs are covered.

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Wait 2 days

Lol, doubt they stop them from giving a discount for cash purchase though. If you close your eyes you will see the same result. Raise the price and discount for cash

I set up and tried Android pay this weekend and it worked better than I had hoped. You are required to have a lock screen set up for the app to work and all you do is unlock the phone and hold it over the debit reader and bingo. What I liked is that I had to be right above the reader. Two inches back and it didn’t work. This in my opinion is safer than having my credit card in my wallet as I have lost my wallet on two occasions and have never lost my phone. If I do lose my phone I can lock and erase it much faster than cancelling my cards and ordering new cards. The machine I used it on did not have an Android pay symbol but the machine had the wifi looking symbol for “tap” so I guess that is all that is need3d and since most machines in Canada have tap now this will be my go to form of payment. This along with my stocard app that keeps all my discount cards

Yeah, pretty similar to Apple Pay, as long as the terminal takes contactless credit/debit cards you can use your Apple/Google pay via the phone or Apple Watch :blush:

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If you get Android Pay on your Android Wear then the heart beat sensor acts to know the phone is on your wrist, then you unlock it once once on your wrist. You can program one of the buttons to be Android Pay then walk into store and hold watch to terminal.

If its raining then therefore I can just go with my waterproof watch and no reach in pockets for anything.

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That’s awesome. I have been interested in the watches for some time and I used to wear a watch every day when I was younger. trouble is I haven’t worn a watch in about 15 years…about the same time I got my first flip phone. I have a bling/bling watch for when I am at something formal and do not have my phone with me. I am a part owner of a sharpening shop and the equipment we run would rip a watch right from my wrist or worse pull me into a grinder or lathe so that is out of the question. I guess I need to decide how much I want to spend just to wear it while shopping only. Great idea though for the right situation and person.

The real honest answer is you don’t need a smart watch, it is just geek addiction.

However what you can do is just use it instead of a phone, you can get a phone on your wrist which receives calls and you can pay for stuff off your wrist.

The most valuable use of a smart watch is is notification filtering, a bleep and glance at your wrist and then if its important then react, without having to grab your phone. What I found is if I didnt have a smart watch on, I was missing via having to get the phone.

The other aspect is universal availability - the lack thereof - most of my shopping is done at places which accept Android Pay (future: Google Pay) but not everywhere does so the 1st world problem I have to leave home with all the methods of buying things with me, cash and a plastic card anyway, so the watch is saving me only a second or so of reach into pocket. As I say, the smart watch is really just geek joy, you could de-invent it and barely the world would weep any tear.

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