PayPal has announced the availability of a new Android SDK. This release is aimed at developers and PayPal notes that it will be able to offer “everything a developer needs to accept both PayPal and credit card payments.” On the flip side though, while the release of the SDK is for developers, it should also serve to improve the payment process for a user looking to pay through PayPal. While there isn’t any timeline as to when this will show up in apps, the SDK will be available beginning on May 15th.
Basically, at this point it is up to the developers to make use of the SDK. This means developers will be able to set things up so the user will be able to make a PayPal payment without having to leave the app. Or in simpler terms, the user will have a streamlined checkout experience. Perhaps even nicer, the user will have multiple options when it comes to making that payment.
They will be able to use a PayPal account or use a credit or debit card by snapping a picture. As far as taking a picture, this will be done using the card.io technology. When using the card.io setup users only have to hold their credit card up and let the app scan the card. For those who may be worried about scanning your credit card, PayPal did mention that is a secure process.
The above image shows a basic example of the PayPal payment setup in an Android app. While the streamlined checkout process will likely be beneficial to the end user, PayPal has also said this will allow developers to make use of a payment solution that scales with them. Further details here mention how they have “128 million account holders across more than 50 financial networks in 190 markets and in 25 currencies around the globe.”
While the end user waits for this to begin showing up in Android apps, here are a few points that developers should know — the PayPal SDK for Android will support v2.2 (Froyo) or later and there will be documentation as well as integration details available on the newly updated PayPal developer site.
SOURCE: PayPal
