For UK Android users it’s still not quite the news we were hoping for. iPhone users can whizz through the London Underground and pay for items easily with their devices, but Android owners still have to use a card to tap their way through. OK yes, that’s not a terrible compromise by any stretch of the imagination, but it’d still be cool if we could actually do it with our phones.
Today both Android and MasterCard have come forward to talk about the safe and secure Android Pay system in the UK. The card company, along with M&S Bank, MBNA, Lloyds and HSBC, will be the first to allow payment via the Android Pay system but, no matter what you read, they’ve all stopped short of telling us exactly when this will all start. Also, NatWest, Barclays and vRoyal Bank of Scotland aren’t on the list.
The closest we have to an ETA is this snippet, tucked down at the bottom of the Android press release..
Stay tuned for more exciting details in the upcoming months!
OK, so months. Months, plural. We’re guessing May at the earliest, possibly June. We hoped that it’d be this month, but now it looks like this is just an announcement and not much else. Come on guys, hurry up! 
Anyway, the reason why I’m posting this is because Android Pay will be accepted at Greggs, and I’m hoping that by mentioning Greggs and their delicious sausage rolls and pasties, they’ll send me one for free.
Mmmmm.. Pasty…
You will be able to use Android Pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted, including your favorite places at which to shop and eat every day, such as Boots, Costa Coffee, Waitrose, and more. You can also tap and pay as you go across London on the Tube, buses and trains, using Android Pay with Transport for London (TfL).
More details below.
MasterCard to bring Android Pay to cardholders in the UK
MasterCard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) to power safe and secure device-based payments on eligible Android devices
LONDON– March 23, 2016 – Millions of MasterCard cardholders and Android device owners in the UK will soon have additional safe and secure ways to make mobile payments and purchases, as Google today announced it will launch Android Pay in this market. HSBC, Lloyds, MBNA and M&S Bank will be the first banks to support Android Pay in the UK, following Android Pay’s successful launch in the United States in September 2015.
Android Pay enables MasterCard credit, debit, prepaid, commercial and small business cardholders to use their eligible Android smartphones for everyday purchases in-store and within Android apps.
Once a MasterCard cardholder downloads the app and sets up an account, making a payment with Android Pay at a store is simple, safe and secure. To pay, consumers unlock their device, hold it near a payment terminal at any location that accepts MasterCard contactless payments, and their payment will be complete. MasterCard built the foundation for secure digital transactions, so consumers can use their cards when, where and how they want.
Developers can quickly enable Android Pay for in-app payments across merchant sites via the Simplify Commerce and theMasterCard Payment Gateway. In the US and UK, Google has partnered with these MasterCard platforms to make it easy for merchants of all sizes to accept in-app payments securely from Android users.
“The strength of our technology means that consumers can enjoy both security as well as simplicity. MasterCard cardholders can feel confident about using their digital MasterCard cards for everyday purchases,” said Mark Barnett, President of MasterCard UK & Ireland.
MasterCard issuers who participate in the MasterCard Digital Enablement Express programme can onboard easily and quickly to Android Pay, as Google brings its service to new markets.
“We’re excited to bring the simplicity and security of mobile payments to MasterCard customers with Android Pay. Soon, people will be able to use their Android device to pay at the hundreds of thousands of contactless payment terminals in the UK,” said Pali Bhat, Senior Director, Product Management, Google.
MasterCard contactless payments are accepted in 74 countries and more than four million merchant locations worldwide. To find a listing of contactless-enabled merchant locations, download the MasterCard Nearby app or go to www.mastercard.com/contactless.
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