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Lucy

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Why Banks Choose to Integrate Android Pay into Their Mobile Apps

The big brands like Google, Samsung, Apple have been trying hard to provide their service to users. But unfortunately they haven’t fulfilled their adoption. Considering this, Google is taking a step forward to further extend the usage of Android Pay by entering into partnership agreements with a number of banks over the globe.

According to Google article about Android Pay Integration with Banking apps, Google has announced new partnerships with a number of world-known banks including the Bank of America, Bank of New Zealand, Discover Financial Services, Poland-based mBank and USA to make it easier to use your cards with Android Pay.

How Android Pay Works in Banking Apps?

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Android Pay allows users to make secure, contactless payments using their Android devices by Integrating into Google Pay. Customers can link their bank cards and pay at stores, online or in apps with ease when banks implement this feature into their mobile apps. Let’s check the blog below about how it works.

First, you open your bank app like Chase or Barclays and straight go to your wallet section. Tap “Add to Google Pay,” and link your debit or credit card. To verify your card, your app will talk to Google Pay via secure APIs. You might confirm your identity with a quick pass code or with your fingerprint. Once linked, your card lives in Google Pay which is now ready to roll.

When you make a transaction, Android Pay keeps it safe with tokenization. It creates a unique and encrypted code instead of sharing your card number for each transaction. Whether you are tapping your phone at the store's contactless reader or buying online, your data will stay locked down and hackers can’t do a thing with it.

Users can unlock their Android phone in stores, tap it on the reader and NFC tech handles the rest in seconds. You can pick Google Pay at checkout, authenticate, and confirm in your mobile apps. Your bank’s app makes it easy.

Moreover, Android Pay makes shopping an enjoyable experience as it enables the customer to add gift cards and loyalty points too in their mobile wallet.

Different Integration Methods for Payment Gateway in Android Apps?

So, ready to add a payment gateway to your Android app? These methods let you offer secure payments with Android Pay (part of Google Pay) or other gateways, customized to your app’s style. If you're building or scaling this functionality, you may want to hire Android developers with experience in secure payment integration to get it right the first time.

1. SDK Integration

Choose a payment gateway Software Development Kit (SDK) like Stripe or PayPal and plug it into your app. Add the SDK to your Gradle file (e.g., implementation 'com.stripe:stripe-android:20.7.0') and set it up with API keys. Use ready-made UI components for payment forms so that you can get a smooth, native experience with minimal coding. It supports Android Pay, cards, and wallets, with tokenization keeping data safe. It is preferable because it is perfect for quick, reliable setups.

2. API-Based Integration

The second method is to connect directly to a gateway’s API, like Google Pay’s HTTP requests. Code your own payment flow by snagging API credentials to your merchant account. Specify card networks and tokenization (e.g., PAYMENT_GATEWAY type) in Google Pay. In this you can control every detail but it takes more effort and needs tight security like HTTPS.

3. Hosted Payment Gateway

The other method is to redirect users to a third party payment page like PayPal’s checkout. Just you need to drop a redirect button or a script and you’re done. The provider will handle the UI and PCI compliance. Go for this if your app is simple and you want minimal hassle.

4. Drop-in UI

The last suggested method is to use a pre-built UI like Braintree’s Drop-in, with just a few lines of code. With this you get a slick payment form supporting Android Pay and cards. It’s fast to implement but might not fully match your app’s style. It is widely ideal for startups needing speed.

Pick what fits your app—SDKs for ease, APIs for control, hosted for simplicity, or Drop-in for speed. Test in a sandbox to nail the flow!

Conclusion

You’ve seen how Android Pay transforms banking apps, making payments fast, secure, and rewarding with features like tokenization and NFC. Big players like Bank of America and mBank are partnering with Google to bring this to you, ensuring seamless transactions anywhere.

Whether you’re an Android app developer picking SDKs for quick setups or APIs for custom flows, integrating Android Pay boosts your app’s game. It’s a win-win: banks stay competitive, and you enjoy tap-to-pay ease with gift cards and rewards. Ready to go cashless? Dive into your bank’s app, try Android Pay, and share your experience below!

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