Google Pay (mobile app)

This article is about the 2020 app. For other uses, see Google Pay (disambiguation).
"Plex (Google)" redirects here. Not to be confused with Googleplex.

Google Pay
Developer(s)Google
Initial releaseNovember 18, 2020; 4 years ago (2020-11-18)
Stable release(s) [±]
Operating systemAndroid 6.0 or later
iOS 14 or later
TypeMobile Payment App
LicenseProprietary
Websitepay.google.com

Google Pay, also known as GPay,[1][2] is a mobile payments application developed by Google. It is available in India and Singapore and also in the United States before 2024.

History


On November 18, 2020, Google launched a companion app in the United States. It functions as an expansion of the Singaporean and Indian versions of the app. The company announced the Google Wallet companion app during the 2022 Google I/O keynote,[3] which replaced the 2018 Google Pay app while co-existing with the 2020 one after it was launched on July 18, 2022.[4]

On June 4, 2024, Google discontinued the app in the United States, replacing it with Google Wallet.[5]

Features

QR & NFC payments

Not to be confused with QR payments via Wallet or NFC payments via Google Pay.

GPay supports QR payments via PayNow or FavePay in Singapore, and both QR & NFC payments via UPI or EMV in India.[6][7][8]

Online payments

GPay can be used to pay with UPI online for certain Indian merchants. The feature is not compatible with using Google Pay's similar online payments functionality, which instead uses tokenized EMV payment cards.

P2P payments

The app supports P2P payments in both India and Singapore, using either UPI or PayNow.[9][10]

UPI Circle

At the Global Fintech Fest 2024, Google Pay announced that it will be introducing the UPI Circle feature. The second half of 2024 will see the release of this feature. With the help of this feature, users can assign payment duties to dependable friends or family members. For people who do not have direct access to financial services or who are afraid to use UPI for digital payments, UPI Circle is very helpful. Google Pay UPI user can add supplementary users to their account via UPI Circle.[11] With UPI Circle, one can use platforms for collaboration or gig economies to create micro-communities where people can pool resources or settle payments in real time.[12]

UPI Vouchers

Google Pay also revealed at the Global Fintech Fest 2024 that it will be launching UPI Vouchers, a capability that was first made available for COVID-19 vaccine payments. This feature will be released in the second half of 2024. With UPI Vouchers, users can transfer prepaid vouchers that are connected to the smartphone number of the recipient. The recipient of these vouchers does not need to connect their bank account to UPI in order to use them for payments. It is now possible for businesses and individuals to issue and use UPI vouchers more easily thanks to the adaptation of this feature for a wider range of industries. In addition to making financial transactions for users easier, UPI Vouchers offer a smooth digital payment option for a variety of scenarios, including corporate gifts, government programs, and others.[11]

Clickpay QR

Clickpay QR was launched by Google Pay in collaboration with NPCI Bharat Billpay. With this functionality, customers can pay their bills by just using the Google Pay app to scan a Clickpay QR code. Users don't need to memorize account numbers or customer IDs because the QR code—which billers can generate—automatically retrieves the most recent bill details.[11]

Prepaid Utilities Payment

Prepaid utility payments are being added by Google Pay as part of its expansion into the recurring payment space. With Google Pay, users can now find and connect their prepaid utility accounts—such as those for power or housing society bills—directly. The purpose of this feature is to streamline the process of managing and monitoring recurring payments within the app. The addition of new utility providers to this group will assist users by providing a single platform for managing all of their recurring payment requirements.[11]

Tap & Pay

RuPay card users can now make payments even easier using Google Pay's Tap & Pay feature. With the use of this technology, customers may use Google Pay to link their RuPay cards and pay with just a tap of their phone at a card reader. The 16-digit card number is safeguarded during transactions thanks to the secure storage of the card details. RuPay cardholders now have even more convenience when making payments thanks to this feature, which eliminates the need for actual cards.[11]

Autopay for UPI Lite

Autopay for UPI Lite is being introduced by Google Pay. When a user's UPI Lite balance drops below a predetermined amount, this feature immediately tops it off for them. UPI Lite is a simplified version of UPI intended for small-ticket transactions. Users can keep making tiny payments with Autopay without having to worry about running out of money.[11]

Country availability

As of September 2024, this version of Google pay is available in only 2 countries after Google merged the Google Pay with Google Wallet in US since June 4, 2024:[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ Romero, Andrew (March 11, 2022). "The difference between GPay and Google Pay – Which one should you use?". 9to5Google. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022.
  2. ^ Adamu, Haroun (September 6, 2023). "Google Pay vs. Samsung Pay: Which tap to pay system is best?". Android Police. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  3. ^ Clark, Mitchell (May 11, 2022). "Google thinks the time is right to bring back Wallet". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Li, Abner (May 11, 2022). "Google Wallet wants to replace your physical wallet (and the old Google Pay app)". 9to5Google. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  5. ^ "Simplifying our payment apps in the U.S." Google. February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  6. ^ "Get started with NFC - Google Pay Help". support.google.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Tap to pay with your phone - Google Pay Help". support.google.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  8. ^ "Pay with a QR code (Singapore only) - Google Pay Help". support.google.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "Send money - Google Pay Help". support.google.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  10. ^ "Send money to friends & family - United States - Google Pay Help". support.google.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Chakravarti, Ankita (August 31, 2024). "Google announces UPI Circle, UPI Vouchers, and other features for Google Pay: Know what it is and how it works". India Today. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Mishra, Ayush (August 19, 2024). "NPCI launches 'UPI Circle' for secure delegated payments with trusted users". Business Standard. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  13. ^ https://support.google.com/googlepay/answer/14555219?hl=en#zippy=%2Cwhen-will-the-us-version-of-the-google-pay-app-no-longer-be-available-for-use. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)