ByZEV STUB
Updated:
After Apple Pay began service in Israel two weeks ago, Google has decided to accelerate its plans to launch its digital wallet service in Israel sooner than planned, according to reports in the Hebrew press.

Google was planning to launch the service toward the end of the year but is now aiming for the third quarter, the report said, adding that nearly 200,000 Israelis began using the service within its first weeks but without citing a source.

Apple Pay, which comes installed on all Apple devices, allows users of iPhones, Apple Watches and other Apple devices to pay in most stores with just a few taps. Credit card machines at most businesses in Israel have been using the EMV standard, which has enabled contactless transactions by cellphones and smartwatches since November.

The launch of Apple Pay opened up digital wallet payments for the estimated 30% of the market using iPhones, and is expected to represent a tipping point in the technology’s adoption.

Google Pay is not as widely used worldwide as Apple Pay, with less than half of Apple’s estimated 400 million users. However, the service competes more directly with Samsung Pay, which is available on devices made by the South Korean conglomerate.

Google Pay may ultimately make digital payments smoother for Android users, but there are already a number of solutions available for them on the market. Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi and others offer digital wallet apps, and supermarket chain Rami Levy also recently launched its own digital wallet, designed to make shopping faster and easier throughout its stores and online sites.