New program could add more value to Google’s Android Pay service
Google is looking to add value to its already popular Android Pay service. The company released its new mobile payments solution in September of this year, and it has managed to attract a great deal of support from consumers interested in using their smartphones to make purchases. Google already had an established mobile payments service, called Google Wallet, but relatively few people opted to use this. Android Pay, however, offers better features that have proven more attractive to consumers.
Majority of those using Android Pay have never used Google Wallet
According to Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google’s senior vice president of ads and commerce, several million people with Android devices are now using Android Pay. Approximately 60% of these people have never used Google Wallet before, making Android Pay their first experience with Google’s mobile payments infrastructure. While consumers have already shown interest in the service, Google is looking to make it more attractive and the company plans to introduce a loyalty program.
Loyalty program will provide consumers with reward points they can use for products they may be interested in
The loyalty program is expected to be launched in the coming months and will focus on numerous companies, with Coke being the first. Through the loyalty program, Android Pay users will be able to tap their smartphone to one of Coke’s soda cans that they purchase. Doing so, they will earn reward points that can be used to purchase Coke products. Google believes that the loyalty program will add more value to Android Pay, making it more attractive to consumers and retailers alike.
Google aims to raise awareness of mobile payments among consumers
Raising awareness of mobile payments is also a priority for Google. The company has begun partnering with several organizations, including AT&T and MasterCard, in order to help consumers learn about mobile commerce. One of the attractive aspects of mobile payments is its convenient nature, and Google intends to highlight this as one of the drawing points for Android Pay. Raising awareness may add more momentum to Google’s mobile payments plans.
Mobile commerce began gaining momentum in China when Alibaba, the country’s leading online merchant, began supporting mobile shopping through its e-commerce store Taobao. Consumers quickly showed strong support for mobile shopping because of its convenient nature. The use of QR codes to initiate mobile transactions is quite popular throughout the country, as consumers can simply scan one of these codes with their smartphones in order to purchase products. Apps like WeChat have become very powerful tools in the retail space, pressuring merchants to become more mobile-centric.