ME Bank (the industry super funds bank) has announced that it now supports Google Pay across it’s range of debit and credit cards. This follows hot on the heels of their support for Apple Pay last month.
We have tested this to see if it works already and had no problems successfully adding an ME Bank card to Google Pay on their phone. The bank said it introduced Google Pay because it’s customers are increasingly switching to contactless and digital payments.
ATM withdrawals by ME customers have almost halved since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Total ATM withdrawals in the last six months (March-Aug 2020) declined 45% compared to the six months prior (Sep 2019-Feb 2020), ME payment data reveals. The total dollar amount withdrawn from ATMs by ME customers also fell 31% over the same period.
ME Group Executive Customer Banking, Craig Ralston told media:
“Our customers are using cash less and contactless and digital payments more, so it makes sense for ME to increase the number of ways our customers can pay digitally with the addition of Google Pay.”
“COVID-19 is accelerating the trend away from cash towards cards and digital payments. ME customers using an Android device will now be able to use Google Pay to pay for things without touching PIN pads or handling cash”
From today, ME customers have a new cashless payment option with the launch of Google Pay, the globally trusted payment app for Android smartphones and Google Wear devices. ME customers will now be able to connect their ME debit and credit cards to Google Pay for use in-store, online and via apps, both in Australia and for overseas online shopping.
Digital payments are simple to use for Australians of all ages. A 70-year-old ME customer recently told the bank her digital wallet is “very easy” and “the way of the future”. Google Pay protects payment information with multiple layers of security, using one of the world’s most advanced infrastructures to help keep ME customer information safe.
If you’d like to know if your bank supports Google Pay checkout the Ausdroid list of Australian Banks with Google Pay which is usually more up to date than Google Australia’s own page on the topic.
