Smartphone payment service Android Pay will be rolled out in Singapore this year.

Android Pay Singapore is run by Google, the digital wallet will do away with the need to carry debit or credit cards, or even cash. Purchases can be paid for by tapping Android phones against NFC (near-field communication) terminals.

In its first expansion outside the US, Google launched the mobile payment service in the UK this week, catching up with Apple Pay which was introduced there nearly a year ago. Apple Pay is also available in China and Singapore, with Hong Kong to come.

Replacing Google Wallet, the Android service was launched in September last year across more than 700,000 merchants in the US.