PayPal updated its Android app this morning to version 2.8. The new version has some new features including the ability to add money from checks by snapping a photo of the check (U.S. only) and storing of the app on the Android device’s removable SD card.
The add money from a check feature was added to the iPhone last fall. It’s unclear what took so long to bring the functionality to Android (possibly the intricacies of the ecosystem and large amount of different devices – see Netflix issues), but as Android has such a significant share of the smartphone market, this is a huge win for PayPal users.
PayPal’s Shimone Samuel says it’s only because the iPhone has been around longer. “On average, about a million dollars per month have been uploaded since we launched mobile check capture on the iPhone,” he says. “That’s a lot of people skipping the ATM, depositing a check with their phone and not paying any fees for the privilege.”
“From a personal perspective I love the check transfer feature, I use an online-only bank and until this feature was added my only option was to mail checks for deposit,” Samuel adds. “Now I snap a picture and add them directly to PayPal. I can leave the balance in my PayPal account or withdraw it to my bank.”
As the competition heats up in the mobile payments space, the addition of the check depositing feature seems like a no-brainer, especially as the feature is becoming much more common among bank apps.
PayPal is already looking to kill the wallet. Eliminating trips to the bank is always helpful for consumers as well.