Dear Subscriber,

Android Pay is live in the UK! The biggest story of the week is the least surprising given all the leaks and a false start on Twitter by Google itself. The launch comes just a week after Barclays announced its rivalling contactless payment service that is being planned for a June launch, so it will be interesting to see how the bank reacts to being beaten to launch.

Elsewhere in the newsletter, we look at how the charity sector has to evolve when it comes to accepting donations since fewer people are carrying cash.

In other news, Tandem Bank hits its £1m crowdfunding target in about 20 minutes, an infographic predicts contactless payments will be rolled out across national transport links and we bring you a round-up of the five most interesting stories from around the payments industry this week.

Enjoy!

After a false start yesterday and numerous rumours throughout the week, Android Pay has officially been launched in the UK.

Over half of all charitable donations are made in cash – but that number is dropping, says the UK Card Association. With fewer people carrying cash, will contactless be at the heart of charitable donations?

UK challenger bank Tandem is launching a £1m crowdfunding campaign tomorrow as it looks to turbo charge interest among future customers ahead of a planned launch later this year

The infographic says cash payments could decline by as much as 50% in the next ten years, exacerbated by the introduction of the likes of Android Pay, Samsung Pay and improvements to mobile coverage and public wifi.

Welcome to our weekly round-up of all the latest news and research from the world of payments. This week’s round-up includes a company that shocks you if you overspend, Italian cheese that is used as currency and of course Android Pay in the UK.