How to Use Android Pay in Canada?

Android Pay was launched last year in May 2017 for Canadians. To check if your phone is compatible to use Android Pay, you need an Android smartphone that supports both Near Field Communication (NFC) and Host Card Emulation (HCE). Android has featured built-in support for HCE since KitKat 4.4.

Note that almost any Android smartphone released within the last five years will meet these two requirements as long as it is running Android 4.4 and above. Also, however, that certain conditions will prevent it from working on an Android smartphone even if it includes an NFC chip and it’s on a more recent version of the OS.

Per Google, Android Pay won’t work on phones that are: Running a developer version of Android;  Running a custom or rooted ROM; Running an unlocked bootloader or Using Samsung MyKnox at the same time If you have a relatively modern Android phone and none of the four above conditions apply to a smartphone, then you’re set.

Also check if your bank supports Android Pay for most Canadians, the main roadblock that will prevent them from taking advantage of Android Pay is whether or not their bank supports the format of the mobile payment.  Also, BMO, CIBC, Banque Nationale, Scotiabank, Desjardins, President’s Choice Financial, ATB Financial and Canadian Tire Financial Services support Android Pay, with support to credit cards from MasterCard, Visa and Interac debit cards Also it will support  American Express Tangerine cards.

How to get started with Android Pay?

Download the app from the Google Play Store.

Enable NFC and set up a screen lock You can save some time before launching the Android Pay app by ensuring that you have both NFC and smart lock enabled.

With most Android devices, your smartphone will prompt you to add a screen lock when you first set it up, so chances are you already have a screen lock enabled. However, you may have turned off NFC at some point to conserve battery power. In any case, both are easy to turn on.

In the case of NFC on most phones using something close to stock Android: Pull down your smartphone’s notification shade; Tap the cog icon to open your smartphone’s settings menu then Tap the ‘Other’ subheading.

Toggle NFC on To set up a screen lock: Pull down your smartphone’s notification shade then Tap the cog icon to open your smartphone’s settings menu and Look for a subheading that says ‘Security,’ tap it.

Pick the lock type you would like to use with your phone. If your smartphone includes a fingerprint sensor, it’s best to use this option.

Add your debit and credit cards Now you’re finally ready to launch the Android Pay app. Once the app is up and running, it will ask you to add your debit and credit cards.

By default, Google will automatically pull any credit cards you’ve already associated with your Play Store account and add them to Android Pay. To add any other cards you may have, tap the ‘add another card’ button.

The app will then use your phone’s rear-facing camera to read the card. If this feature isn’t working properly or the app didn’t correctly parse all the information on your card, you can tap the ‘add manually’ button to enter any details yourself. Google will then, depending on your choice, send you a verification code either through email or SMS.

If you add more than one card to the app, you can avoid potential future mishaps by setting a default card by double-tapping the card’s icon and pressing the ‘set as default card’ button.

Start spending your real money CAD is easy now. Once you’ve added your credit to Android Pay and verified them, you’re free to make purchases up to $100 without unlocking your device. You can also complete up to three transactions without unlocking your device.

Any NFC point-of-sales (PoS) terminal that supports tap and pays functionality will also support Android Pay. Simply enter the store of your choice, wake your smartphone and tap it against the store’s payment terminal. It’s also possible to use mobile apps that support the platform. Once you complete a transaction, you’ll get a notification sending you all the details of your transaction on your smartphone.

Conclusion

This is everything you can understand to use the Android Pay app in Canada.