Google switches Android Pay to Google Pay

New name and a new user interface for Google's contactless payment system.
It wasn't exactly a secret that Google was seeking to rebrand its Android Pay service as Google Pay and that's precisely what the search giant has done, unveiling its "new" Google Pay service and associated application overnight.
The app itself has had a refresh with new sections for card management and associated rewards schemes. Google's official announcement of the change in naming notes that it's already compatible with contactless public transport systems in Kiev, London and Portland. Sorry, Sydney Opal or Melbourne Myki users, no sign of Google Pay compatibility just yet.
Google launched Android Pay in Australia in 2016 as a competitor to services such as Apple Pay or Samsung Pay, and it has since been adopted by a very wide array of financial services institutions, including numerous banks, building societies and credit unions across Australia.
While Apple Pay and Samsung Pay rely on having Apple or Samsung-specific handsets such as the iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Google Pay works across any Android device with inbuilt NFC, which means that Samsung phone owners can pick their payment method depending on whether their financial institution supports either Samsung Pay or Google Pay.
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Picture: Google Pay