Mobile payment systems have been slowly growing in popularity and Google is attempting to take on Apple in this sphere with its Android Pay offering. Recently, it was announced that the mobile payment system from Google will be arriving in the United Kingdom.

Importantly, Android Pay has already been launched in the United States and its arrival in the UK has been delayed by several months. The Verge reporting on its arrival in the UK states that it is going to be akin to Apple Pay in many aspects, including the fact that users can employ it to pay for tickets when they are traveling on the London tube. However, it is clear that Android Pay is launching with a significant disadvantage compared to Apple Pay, which has already been in the UK market for nearly a year and is being employed by several million users.

Making the announcement, Google was vague about the date when Android Pay would be launched in the UK. It only indicated that the contactless payment system would be arriving in a few months' time. However, this is good news for users of Android phones as contactless payment systems are increasingly popular. As for the banks that have been roped into a partnership with Google for Android Pay, they currently include the Bank of Scotland, Halifax, First Direct, HSBC, and several more. Importantly, credit and debit cards issued by these banks are going to be supported on Android Pay, and it is likely that as the months progress, more banks and their cards will be added to the list.

Smartphones that run the Android KitKat operating system and above will be able to use Android Pay, but they will also need to have NFC technology. Meanwhile, Engadget states that the bank Barclays will not be supporting Android Pay in the country. Several retail stores, however, have already signed up to partner with Google and help the rollout of Android Pay in the country.