Android Pay Now Available to Mastercard Cardholders in Poland

Mastercard Digital Enablement Service ensures safe and secure payments with Android Pay

Google confirmed that Android Pay service, enabling contactless mobile payments with Android-based devices, is now live in Poland. It provides millions of Mastercard cardholders in the country with yet another innovative, fast and secure way to pay, wherever Mastercard contactless payments are accepted.

Poland is the first country in Central and Eastern Europe region and the second country in Europe (after the UK) to roll out the Google service. On the launch date, Android Pay is available in Poland to the holders of Mastercard cards issued by Alior Bank, T-Mobile Banking Services and Bank Zachodni WBK. Other banks will be successively deploying the Google service.

“Our MDES technology, enabling Android Pay, provides Mastercard cardholders with convenience and security. We are happy that Google has chosen Poland as the second European market to launch the service. Thanks to a high market share of Android OS in Poland and highly developed payment infrastructure, our country has a huge potential to widely adopt the technology in a short time, as was the case with contactless payments,” said Bartosz Ciołkowski, Country Manager Poland, Mastercard Europe.

Payments made with Android Pay use tokenization technology delivered by Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES), which ensures the highest level of security. In setting up a device for Android Pay, Mastercard generates a digital “token” that is associated with that device and stored on a secure server. There is a separate token assigned to each of the consumer’s devices, which means that not only is the token number different from the ‘real’ card number but it is also prevented from transacting via any other device. While shopping, it is the token and not the real card number that is provided to the store. For consumers and retailers alike, every purchase made with a Mastercard using Android Pay offers all the benefits and guarantees of a transaction with the physical Mastercard.

“With the launch of Android Pay to Alior Bank and T-Mobile Banking Services cardholders we are introducing one of the most advanced mobile payment solution. We always actively participate in innovative projects which bring the real benefit to our customers. We care to provide our cardholders with solutions that meet their expectations in terms of functionality, safety and convenience – says Wojciech Sobieraj, CEO of Alior Bank.

To pay with Android Pay, a Mastercard cardholder has to download Android Pay app from Google Play store to his/her phone with Android version 4.4 or higher and with NFC technology. After registration, the cardholder should add to the app one or more debit and/or credit cards issued by Alior Bank, T-Mobile Banking Services or Bank Zachodni WBK to be able to make mobile contactless payments at any of 425 thousand contactless terminals in Poland[1] and 6 million worldwide where Mastercard contactless payments are accepted, and soon also in shopping apps. Similarly as with contactless cards, transactions over PLN 50 require providing the PIN code of the original plastic card.

“We are adding Android Pay to other mobile payment solutions already available to our customers. As an innovative bank we are constantly improving our offer to provide multiple solutions that are available on the market. Our customers appreciate that, which shows in the increasing use of mobile payments,” said Błażej Mika, Head of Payment Services and Partner Relations at Bank Zachodni WBK.

As a participant of the Digital Enablement Express program, Google takes advantage of streamlined onboarding process to engage with all participating Mastercard issuers around the globe, accelerating consumer access to Android Pay. For retailers, Android Pay can be easily implemented in shopping apps thanks to Mastercard Payment Gateway services. In traditional stores, Android Pay is already accepted at 425 thousand contactless terminals in Poland[2].

“We are excited that Mastercard cardholders can already take advantage of easy and secure mobile payments with Android Pay. Using the service is more secure and much faster than searching through one’s wallet for a plastic card. Customers can effect Android Pay transactions in more than 400 thousand terminals in Poland, and soon also in mobile apps,” said Pali Bath, Global Head of Payments Products, Google.

According to the recent studies conducted by Mastercard, Polish consumers are open to new payment methods, such as mobile payments, because they save time while being convenient and secure. Already 8% of Polish internet users declare that they have had an opportunity to try mobile payments and 3/4 of them want to continue using them. If it were necessary to replace cards and cash with e-payments, every second respondent would choose mobile payments. The majority (62%) of Polish internet users already use mobile internet and mobile banking services.[3]

About Mastercard
Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry.  We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories.  Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone.