KHALEEJ TIMES, Monday, Nov 19, 2018 | Rabi Al Awwal 11, 1440
Google launches contactless Pay service in UAE
Emirates:
Internet giant Google announced the launch of its contactless payment service in
the UAE, further ramping up the competition sector that is gaining wider
acceptance.
Google Pay will allow users to make purchases
using Android devices at stores that accept contactless payments, as well as
across all Google properties including its app store, Google Play, and Chrome
Web browser.
Android devices must be running on at least
Android 5.0 Lollipop and NFC support to avail of the service.
The launch will pit Google against other
contactless payment services already serving the UAE, including Apple Pay and
Samsung Pay. Fitbit Pay is also working to get its service in the country soon.
The UAE is now among the 26 countries in which
Google Pay can be used for in-store and contactless payments. Emirates NBD,
Emirates Islamic Bank, Mashreq and Standard Chartered are the first lenders in
the country that have partnered with Google, with RAKBank coming soon, according
to a Google statement to Khaleej Times.
Practically all MasterCard and Visa cards are
accepted, save for very
few certain ones.
Google guarantees security in all transactions
made with the service, with no credit card information stored on neither the
user's device nor in the merchant's system. Should a smartphone get lost or
stolen, users can, remotely, either lock the device, reset its password or even
wipe the personal information on it.
Additionally, any purchases above Dh300 will
require a PIN for added security.