Android Pay to reach five new markets soon

Although Google's mobile payment solution controls a small market share when compared to Apple's similar solution, Android Pay continues to receive improvements and to enter new markets. For now, the service is only available in ten countries, but more will soon be added to the list.

According to Google's Pali Bhat, the list of new countries to receive Android Pay includes Russia, Canada, Taiwan, Spain, and Brazil. Android Pay users who also use Paypal are also expected to receive a streamlined mobile checkout experience shortly. The list of Android Pay changes announced by Google also includes new loyalty features for merchants, as well as the ability to pay within third-party apps by choosing any card previously used with the user's Google Account, instead of the ones preloaded in Android Pay alone.

Google's smart tap technology is available in over 8,000 Walgreens US stores and will soon be expanded to businesses of all sizes. This way, retailers will be able to easily build Android apps for coupon, loyalty and gift card redemption, as well as order ahead and tap for pick up features.