With no launch in sight for Google Wallet in Australia it looks as though NFC Payments with phones has been limited to iPhone users utilising the Kaching application and iCarte case add-on from the Commonwealth bank. Today the Commonwealth bank updated their blog with this juicy piece of info which indicates that an Android app could be coming soon :

On every blog I am going to talk Android, because I know you are hanging out for Kaching. As an FYI, I have 3 droid phones at home and my family are also hanging out for Kaching. My daughter gave up waiting and installed it on her iPad and runs it at 2x resolution, ugly but effective. I am expecting us to kick off a staff pilot for Kaching in April and if itโ€™s all good then we will launch it in the app store

*Obviously by App Store they mean Google Play Store.

No information on what features the Android Kaching app will have, but I would imagine they would be trying to emulate the features already offered in the iPhone application which are :

  • Get a quick view of your account balance with simple balance
  • Send money to someone using their mobile number
  • Make payments using your email contacts or by entering an email address
  • Make payments to your Facebook friends
  • Shop without cash or cards at any PayPassโ„ข contactless terminal
  • Make BPAYยฎ payments, transfer money between your accounts or to someone elseโ€™s account
  • Find your nearest Commonwealth Bank ATM or branch.

This could be enough to get me to change banks, I don`t know, obviously that decision would go through the Minister of Finance(Wife) first so we’ll wait and see on that one. Anyone else interested in Kaching on Android? I know I can’t wait to see if this encourages any of the other banks to investigate NFC payments at the very least.

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    Andrew Fox

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has promised that it will release its Kaching app to Android users within six weeks, albeit without enabling internal near-field communication (NFC) chips for contactless transactions. That, according to senior bank executives, is the fault of Google, device manufacturers and a fragmented ecosystem.
    Boooooo ๐Ÿ™ I have a Nexus with NFC, why no support?!

    coreform

    Hi again, just stopped by to point out (again) there’s Australian Android App news you’ve overlooked writing about: NAB, Android App, Passcode, actually exists not just heresay. Or is this another news site with hidden sponsors and agendas? Oh and ANZ are also working on a native Android App (that’s more than a bookmark)

    Matt Booth

    Kaching uses NFC, this technology is new and exciting and people are interested in it. ANZ and NAB are just stock standard boring banking portals, same as all the others.

    Andrew Fox

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has promised that it will release its Kaching app to Android users within six weeks, albeit without enabling internal near-field communication (NFC) chips for contactless transactions. That, according to senior bank executives, is the fault of Google, device manufacturers and a fragmented ecosystem.
    ๐Ÿ™

    Projectgambit

    Does any rember foundling with there analog nokia; tranfering funds,around in a nightclub using phone banking…just to get taxi fee home….. Oh smartfones were have u been all my life…

    Taufiq Khan

    My favourite part is actually ‘Simple Balance’ and honestly, this will probably be 95% of how I use the app.

    Evan Whiteside

    I’m interested in Kaching, all my accounts are with the Commonwealth. So this would be a big boon for me and my Galaxy Nexus.

    Glenn

    I’d open a CBA account just to be able to use NFC regularly! Do they have no fees for uni students?

    Hikari0307

    Yeah , my account with CBA has no fees at all. An an online savings account and an everyday account with a debit mastercard.
    No fees until I graduate.

    BK

    No fees for uni students on “everyday account” just have to show your uni ID at a branch i got told!

    Nick Fletcher

    speaking to some of my iPhone friends, most of them say they don’t even bother with kaching anymore, they just use the commbank app if they need to check balances or transfer money.ย  having said that none of them have the NFC case, so maybe that’s the kicker

    Pete

    this app could potentially stop me from closing my CBA account and moving elsewhere. hoping it will work on my nexus s with ice cream sandwich.

    Hikari0307

    Alright now all I need is for Samsung to release the SII and unlike the SII fiasco with NFC this time.

    Hikari0307

    I mean the SIII

    Mallardious Monk

    Assuming the account options (services, fees, etc) are approximately similar to my current bank, then yes, this could convince me to go to the bother of switching banks.

    Griff

    Yeah I’m a triple droid user, but I forgot to say Market / Google Play.

    Greg Bell

    Well he didn’t call it the “App Store” he said “app store” which, despite Apple’s claims, is a generic descriptor and is perfectly accurate for describing Google Play.

    DeeJay

    Actually he’s an iPhone user. ย His wife and daughters use Android.