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Top payment processor stripe brings Tap to paya Near Field Communication (NFC) powered payment initiative, to Android devices, albeit in a roundabout way.
Apple Tap to Pay, first unveiled in February 2022, turns an iOS device into a point of sale (POS) device alongside partner-supported iOS apps, without the need for an intermediate app such as Google Pay.
But now (via TechCrunch (opens in new tab))Stripe will become the first payment platform to offer the same experience on Android, enabling businesses already using Stripe Terminal, the company’s physical card reader, to perform Tap to Pay transactions on NFC-enabled Android devices.
Tap to pay on Android
Apple expanded the list of payment platforms that support Tap to Play on iOS back in November 2022, and it follows that there will be a similar arms race to support the initiative on Android.
For its part, in addition to the usual payment providers such as Google Pay, American Express, Mastercard and Visa, Stripe will support smaller third-party merchants that target specific industries, such as Oddle (focused on restaurants and catering), Squire (barbershops), Fareharbor (tours , rates and activities) and GiveTap (donations).
“Stripe’s launch of Tap to Pay on Android puts contactless payment hardware in the pockets of millions of businesses around the world. Now any business can checkout in person in minutes,” John Affaki, Terminal business lead at Stripe, said in a statement.
Stripe’s Tap to Pay support is currently live in six territories – the US, Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore – with no word yet on when more will arrive.