Commonwealth Bank upgrades Kaching for Android users.

The Commonwealth bank has announced upgrades to its Kaching app for Android users, but NFC won't be replacing their plastic credit cards just yet.

Telsyte have recorded that since December, for the first time Google's Android operating system has overtaken Apple's IOS, thanks largely to the new found popularity of Samsung's smart phones. With this in mind, the CBA announced on Tuesday, a new version of Kaching, the banks mobile banking application. The new version of Kaching has been redesigned to specifically take advantage of the best functionality that Android-powered devices offer, unlike many other Android applications that simply clone their Apple IOS version, according to CBA's chief marketing and online officer Andy Lark.

The only function that is notably missing is the tap-and-go payment method for PayPass terminals, a disappointment for owners of Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled Android devices. The bank has claimed that Google and device manufacturers have not yet given out the keys to the secure element of Android devices, required to comply with MasterCard and Visa payments standards. Although NFC chips are not yet available on Apple phones, CBA have also developed NFC chipped iphone cases that enable payments through Kaching.

While there have been claims that 2013 may see the end of the plastic credit card era, Australians will still require 'virtual' credit cards, making the necessity to compare credit cards to find the lowest interest rates, fees, charges and best rewards points still apply.

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