Square Debuts Android Tap to Pay for Merchants

Square is giving merchants an easier way to make contactless payments.

The commerce solutions provider has begun offering Tap to Pay on Android for sellers in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Ireland, France and Spain, letting them accept contactless payments with a compatible Android device, according to a Wednesday (April 19) press release.

“Square’s goal is to make sure that our sellers, no matter where they are or who they are serving, never miss a sale,” Alexis Sowa, general manager of Square Point of Sale, said in the release. “Our launch of Tap to Pay on Android brings a unique technology to millions of sellers globally, giving merchants a simple way to accept payments and access world-class, integrated software for their business.”

Sellers with a compatible Android device can use Tap to Pay by opening one of Square’s tools — point of sale, Square for Restaurants, etc. — entering the sale and handing their phone to the customer, the release stated. From there, the shopper will see the amount they owe and make a payment with a contactless card, debit card or digital wallet.

Research by PYMNTS found a marked rise in digital wallet use in many parts of the world. For example, Japan — where cash-only retail is still popular — saw the use of digital wallets for in-store payments increase by 20%.

Consumers in that country carried out more than 88% of in-store mobile transactions in the third quarter of last year using FinTech wallets, which are typically local in origin.

Mobile wallet use in in-store transactions also rose in the U.S. (13%), Australia (14%) and Singapore (18%).

“The difference is that global wallets dominate these markets, accounting for 47%, 74%, and 43% of in-store mobile payments, respectively,” PYMNTS wrote in “How the World Does Digital: Different Paths to Digital Transformation.”

Meanwhile, the new Square offering is part of a larger series of recent product rollouts. Last week, the company introduced dozens of new small business automation and embedded finance tools.

Also included were additional restaurant capabilities and a new Square Subscriptions feature, that lets “all kinds of businesses” set up periodic billing models.