What Online Shoppers Gain From the Streamlined Google Pay

Google has consolidated its mobile and online payment applications into a single service and brand called Google Pay. The offering, which launched on Feb. 20, allows users to make payments with mobile devices, in applications and on websites. Shoppers can load their credit and rewards card numbers into Google Pay to facilitate in-store purchases. The rebranded Google Pay is the company’s answer to Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, among other online payment services. But naturally Google argues that its service, which combines the previously separate Android Pay and Google Wallet services, is superior. This slide show will examine how Google expects its consolidated payment services will attract more shoppers in the increasingly competitive digital payments market.

Google Pay is technically not a new payments solution from the company. Instead, it’s the result of Google consolidating the features of its Android Pay mobile payments app with Google Pay. Google Wallet, the company’s peer-to-peer payment service, hasn’t yet been baked into Google Pay. Instead, Google has rebranded Google Wallet as Google Pay Send and modified the app’s design to look nearly identical to Google Pay. Google has said that Google Pay Send will be integrated into Google Pay in the future.

Google Pay allows users to make mobile payments from inside apps. According to Google, when users make purchases through the “hundreds of apps” that support the payment service, they’ll have the ability to log into Google Pay service and use their preferred payment methods to complete purchases. Airbnb, Fandango, Instacart and Boxed, among many other apps support Google Pay.

Google says they’ll find “thousands” of websites that offer the option to complete purchases with Google Pay. Similar to Apple Pay or Amazon Pay, after users place items in a cart, shoppers will be able to log in to Google Pay and pay for purchases.

Google Pay isn’t just for making purchases. Users can send cash to friends and family via the Google Pay Send using either email address or phone number. The cash is instantly debited from the Google Pay user’s designated debit card. Google Pay Send will be fully integrated into Google Pay in the future.

Google Pay also works for in-store purchases just as Android Pay did. Point-of-sale terminals that have the “G Pay” logo or mobile payment logo on them will accept Google Pay purchases. For now, though, Google has said that the feature is available only to Android users. Apple makes its own Apple Pay payment service the default near-field communication payment option for purchases in its Apple Stores.

Anytime a customer makes a payment with Google Pay, the transaction is fully secured and encrypted, the company said. When making in-store purchases, actual bank card information is never shared with merchants. Instead, a unique identifier is sent to verify payment. Encryption protection ensures will keep users financial and purchasing records safe even when mobile devices are lost or stolen.

Users can also attach retailer reward card data to their Google Pay accounts. When making a purchase, users can input their rewards information and keep racking up points. Google didn’t say which retailers will extend rewards to Google Pay users, but the Google Pay website at least mentions the Walgreens drug store chain.

In addition to housing things like boarding passes, tickets, and gift cards, Google Pay also works with PayPal, the company confirmed. Through Google Pay, users will be able to input PayPal information and make purchases through this alternative service.

Google Pay works with cards issued from some of the world’s largest banks, including Bank of America, Capital One, Chase and Citi. In total, Google Pay works with “hundreds of banks and payment providers,” Google said. Several small and regional banks are included in that tally.

From day one, Google Pay works at a variety of stores that have the right point-of-sale terminals. However, the company has also partnered with major companies to ensure support for its service. Those retailers include Best Buy, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald’s, and Whole Foods, among others. Target and Walmart, however, don’t support Google Pay.