Google has announced yet another expansion for its Android Pay service, launching their mobile payment platform in Taiwan.
According to Google’s Pali Bhat, “whether you’re heading out for dinner or doing your weekly shopping, your Android phone is all you need to bring with you when you walk out the door”
“Starting now, Android Pay is available in Taiwan,” he says.
This brings the service’s total footprint to 13 different countries, including the US, Australia, Singapore, the UK, Hong Kong, Poland, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Belgium, Canada and Russia.
In Australia, Android Pay has been available since July 2016.
While there are some reports that the Taiwanese app lacks support for several of the region’s major banks at this time, it does look like Google have brought something new to the table in the meantime.
It is understood that the company have integrated Google Maps into the app, offering promotions and unique deals from partnered retailers in real time based on your location.
It is unknown if these location-based bargains will remain a Taiwan-only feature or eventually come to other regions. If so, it could see them continue to close the gap between them and rivals.
In comparison, Apple Pay has launched in 15 regions while Samsung Pay leads with 17 regions.
The move comes as LG finally makes its own play for the mobile market, launching their LG Pay service for South Korean users of their LG G6 flagship device late last week.
It is unknown when the mobile payment service will be available to more markets, devices and regions. However, the company’s failure to launch LG Pay sooner may see them struggle to gain a foothold in a space already dominated by Apple, Google and Samsung.
