Get your Android to pay

BACK IN TECHLIFE issue 87 we published an article on Android smartphone and device security. Recently we have seen an increased uptake of smartphone payment apps that let your phone double as your contactless credit or debit card. So, how secure are they?

Firstly, no transaction is 100% secure, and there is usually a trade-off between security and convenience. Most of us are prepared to accept that compromise, and Australia has adopted contactless payments so completely that St George Bank recently reported around 95% of point-of-sale payments are now contactless.

You can use your card to tap and pay up to $100 – and that’s one of the highest such limits in the world. For this level of payment