Global mobile financial services provider WorldRemit has launched the global rollout of Android Pay at MoneyConf 2017, enabling users to send money to over 112 million mobile money accounts via its network.

WorldRemit claims to be the only remittance provider offering international payments through Android Pay globally.

"By connecting directly with Android Pay, WorldRemit customers can transfer money instantly across continents in just 5 taps - without entering credit card or 3DS details. Using mobile money, a recipient customer can then pay for school fees, utility bills and groceries among other things directly from their mobile phones - without the need for 3G or WiFi. As Android Pay is supported by industry standard tokenisation, payments are sent with a virtual account number providing an extra layer of security," reads a statement by WorldRemit.

Alice Newton-Rex, VP of Product at WorldRemit, comments: "Currently 60% of WorldRemit app users are on Android, which is also by far the most popular mobile operating system in the developing world, where 2 billion people are still unbanked, but critically half a billion use their mobiles as a bank account.

"This integration with Android Pay is the next logical step of our mobile first approach, and continues our commitment to providing greater financial inclusion.''

Pali Bhat, Director, Product Management at Google, said: "We want to make it easier for organisations like WorldRemit to offer a simpler, faster in-app payment solution for their customers. With Android Pay, people will be able to speed through checkout with their Android phones in a few clicks".

WorldRemit users make around 600,000 transactions every month, sending from over 50 countries to more than 140 destinations, according to stats made available by the company.

In November 2016 the company entered into partnerships with MTN Mobile Money, Express Union and Banque Atlantique signalling the launch of its digital money transfer service in Cameroon.

An IDC report Cross-Border Remittances: The Next Mobile Money Frontier in Africa, claims that the number of mobile money wallets now surpasses the number of bank accounts in several African countries.

The IDC quotes Leonard Kore, senior analyst for telecommunications and media at IDC East Africa as saying, "As mobile money usage continues to overtake bank account usage in a number of African countries, IDC expects remittances (especially low-value amounts) to be increasingly channelled via mobile money rather than via bank transfers or other expensive MTO platforms. Mobile money disrupted the financial services market, and cross-border mobile money transfers have the potential to similarly disrupt the remittances market. As such, IDC warns that traditional remittance players may be next to start losing customer share in the fast-evolving mobile-money revolution."