Australian State Now Accepting Android Pay

An Australian state government is now accepting mobile payments. The development allows citizens of New South Wales to pay for government services using Android Pay.

It’s a bold move in a country in which the emergence of the big international mPayment platforms has proven contentious, particularly with several Australian banks’ resistance to Apple Pay. And given the relative prominence of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, to some the NSW’s embrace of Android Pay as its first supported mPayment system may also come as a surprise.

But it’s the popularity of the Android operating system that led to the decision, according to NSW’s Minister for Finance, Services and Property, Dominic Perrottet. Explaining the move in a statement, Perrottet asserted that about 90 percent of residents own mobile phones, “and with the popularity of Android phones it makes sense for us to provide this quick, efficient option for our customers.”

Perrottet also asserted that the government’s embrace of mPayments was aimed at keeping ahead of the curve, or “becoming fast followers” in order to ensure that the government’s “customer service keeps pace with the options people want.”