Out of the more recent mobile payments platforms – Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Android Pay – Apple was the first to break into the Japanese market, although initial reports revealed that the launch was not as smooth as Apple would have liked. Now it seems that Google will be beating Samsung to the punch with Android Pay’s launch in the country.
In an announcement by Google, it has been revealed that Android Pay will now be available for use in Japan. “The next time you pop into your local ‘conbini’, your Android phone will be all you need to take with you. Starting today, Android Pay — the new digital wallet for Android smartphones — is available in Japan, helping you pay for things and earn loyalty points quickly and conveniently when you are on-the-go.”
As it stands Japan already relies pretty heavily on contactless payments where you can actually use the Suica card to pay for all kinds of things, so in reality mobile payments like Apple Pay and Android Pay are just an extension of the system and another medium that users can choose to use.
Google has also partnered with Rakuten Edy which means that anywhere in Japan that relies on Rakuten Edy eMoney’s platform will have no problems accepting Android Pay either. Google also announced plans for expansion where in 2017, they plan to work with FeliCa Networks to support more providers.