A new competitor entered the mobile payment industry on Wednesday in the form of Google's Hands Free app system, which eliminates the need for a physical connection between a phone and terminal by using wireless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi networks. Critics have praised the app's "personalised, fast and frictionless experience. The cashier asks for the consumer’s initials, and authenticates the consumer via those initials and the picture. But it also raises questions about privacy and security. Google's mobile payment offering, Android Pay, is also said to be gaining ground, having added around 1.5 million new US users per month since its launch in September 2015.
A new competitor entered the mobile payment industry on Wednesday in the form of Google's Hands Free app system, which eliminates the need for a physical connection between a phone and terminal by using wireless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi networks. Critics have praised the app's "personalised, fast and frictionless experience. But it also raises questions about privacy and security. Google's mobile payment offering, Android Pay, is also said to be gaining ground, having added around 1.5 million new US users per month since its launch in September 2015.