Android mobile users across the UK could soon be able to carry out purchases using only their smartphone, following Google's launch of the new Android Pay service in the US.

The shift towards enhanced mobile consumer spending and the proliferation of smartphones in recent years has meant developers have worked hard to create new systems to allow individuals to carry out transactions that much easier via their mobile handsets.

Set to come to UK handsets in the near future, Android Pay will be available on mobile devices featuring an NFC chip for contactless payments and the Androidware platform KitKat 4.4 or higher.

Able to sync with user accounts for Visa, American Express, MasterCard and Discover, the new Android Pay system will place security at the forefront of all transactions and will never reveal a user's real credit or debit card numbers when carrying out a transaction.

Instead, a tokenisation system is employed to send a virtual account number to the retailer when completing purchases, while payment confirmations will be required every time the Android Pay system is used.