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 it’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 PayPass™ contactless terminal
- Make BPAY® payments, transfer money between your accounts or to someone else’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.
