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.
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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.
