DOSH, the prepaid Mastercard account operated by Hereford-based payment specialist allpay Ltd, has added Google Pay support for its Android customers. Eligible users can now add their DOSH card to Google Wallet and make contactless payments in stores, in apps and online wherever the Google Pay logo is accepted, including through compatible Android smartwatches.

The move is targeted explicitly at consumers who are unbanked, underbanked or otherwise excluded from mainstream financial products. DOSH is credit-check-free and carries no overdraft facility, positioning it as a spending-control tool rather than a credit instrument. The Google Pay integration gives those customers access to the same contactless payment rails used widely across the UK without requiring them to hold a current account at a high-street bank.

Tony Killeen, founder and entrepreneur of allpay, said: “People who are unbanked, underbanked or financially excluded should not be left with fewer choices or outdated ways to pay. Bringing Google Pay to DOSH helps open a modern payment experience while preserving the control and transparency that our customers value.”

The mechanics and security case

From a technical standpoint, the integration uses Google Pay’s standard tokenisation model: the customer’s physical card number is not transmitted to the retailer at the point of sale. Instead, a device-specific token handles the transaction, adding a layer of protection that is comparable to what a standard bank-issued debit card provides through the same wallet. This matters for the target demographic, where loss of a physical card can cause acute disruption to day-to-day spending.

The DOSH account also supports real-time push notifications and an in-app card lock, features that complement the digital wallet by keeping the customer in control of a balance that cannot go negative. Cash access remains available through up to 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK, which sustains optionality for customers who move between digital and cash-based spending.

Market context and regulatory backdrop

The timing of the announcement sits against a data point worth noting. A February 2025 feedback statement from the Financial Conduct Authority and the Payment Systems Regulator recorded that the share of UK card transactions completed via a digital wallet rose from eight per cent in 2019 to twenty-nine per cent in 2023. That structural shift means the gap between what a mainstream bank customer experiences and what an excluded consumer can access has been widening, even as the technology has become ubiquitous.

Several prepaid and e-money providers already operate in the financially excluded segment in the UK, including Pockit, Suits Me and card programmes run through credit unions. The competitive question for DOSH is distribution: the product reaches customers partly through local authorities, community partners and social housing providers rather than purely through direct-to-consumer channels, which is a differentiated model that could support lower acquisition costs and higher trust among hard-to-reach cohorts.

allpay holds FCA authorisation as an electronic money institution under registration number 900539. That regulatory status means DOSH sits within the e-money framework rather than the deposit-taking regime, so customer balances are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme but must be safeguarded in a segregated account in line with the Electronic Money Regulations 2011. Prospective users and partner organisations should note that distinction.

The next indicators to watch are uptake rates among DOSH’s existing customer base and whether the Google Pay capability accelerates take-up through the social-housing and local-authority distribution channels. An Apple Pay equivalent for iOS users has not been announced.

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