Barclaycard beats Google to Android contactless payments in UK



The updated Barclaycard Android app being used to make a contactless purchase



BARCLAYCARD will introduce contactless payments to its Android app – and allow customers to make tap-to-pay purchases of up to £100. Meanwhile Google has yet to announce a date for its Android Pay roll-out in the UK.

 

Barclaycard is introducing new features to its Android app that will enable contactless payment.

The updated app will allow customers to continue using their account even if their credit or debit card is lost or stolen.

The Barclaycard announcement comes days after Google started rolling out its own tap-to-pay solution – dubbed Android Pay – across the United States.

 

Android Pay, the US search firm's second attempt at making contactless smartphone payments mainstream, uses similar NFC technology to Apple Pay and will work with any payment terminal that accept contactless cards.

NFC, or Near-Field Communication, will also enable the new Barclaycard app, which rolls out across the UK in November.

The credit card provider's official customer app will enable contactless on any Android smartphone with an NFC chip.

These new features transform Android phones into a mobile hub for our customers

Mike Saunders

Currently, around 40 per cent of UK smartphones have NFC built-in after it was introduced to Android phones in 2011. It is also used to power Apple Pay on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The updated app will enable customers to complete transactions of up to £30 by touching their device to a pay point, or payments of up to £100 by entering a PIN.

Managing director of digital consumer payments at Barclaycard, Mike Saunders said: "Barclaycard has a strong history of innovation and we're constantly looking for new ways to revolutionise payments.

"These new features transform Android phones into a mobile hub for our customers, allowing them to manage their account on the go, make contactless payments up to £100 and have a lost or stolen card instantly reissued - letting them continue to make contactless payments straight away."

Customers will be able to contact the Barclaycard call centre from the app, and have a virtual replacement card send to their device. 

Rival Apple Pay requires a scan using the Touch ID fingerprint scanner to authenticate the purchase

 

Barclaycard says this can be used in the event of a card being stolen, lost or damaged.

"This additional functionality is being added to our existing customer app so there's no need for existing users to download, register, upload or add card details into a new app, you just complete the simple opt-in process and away you go," said Mr Saunders.

The move follows the June launch of Apple Pay for iPhone 6 users in the UK, and Samsung Pay and Android Pay are due to arrive in the UK in the coming months as technology firms embrace the market. 

UK Cards Association statistics from June show the number of contactless transactions has risen by more than 240 per cent in the last year.