Monday, Google announced that it is making purchasing from a mobile device a lot more simple with the introduction of Google Pay.
The company will combine both Android Pay, which was announced back in 2015, and its Google Wallet to create this new platform. Google Pay will make it easier than ever for shoppers to pay using their mobile devices.
By combining these separate elements, Google is able to offer a service under one brand that isn’t just device specific. This falls in line with the way Apple and Samsung have established themselves as independent company-specific solutions.
How Will Google Pay Work?
There wasn’t too much detail given to the way Google Pay will work, but according to the blog post the digital payment system will make payments “simpler, safer, and more consistent.”
From the blog post, it looks as if users won’t have much to do to utilize Google Pay. The new system works by storing payment information into a users Google account.
So, this means that they’ll be able to send money to friends, pay for items online, shopping at retail locations using NFC all with their mobile device. They’ll also be able to buy easily within Chrome, YouTube, the Google Play Store, and other Google products.
There wasn’t much detail on when Google Pay will arrive other than the blog post stating users will see the system “over the coming weeks.”
However, the company stated that apps such as Airbnb, Dice, Fandango, HungryHouse, and Instacart already support Google Pay and revealed there are a few promotions going on for users who pay with the new system.
Currently, users will receive $10 off a purchase of $50 or more at B&H Photo-Video. There’s also a $5 discount for users who purchase movie tickets through Fandango and a $10 discount for orders of $35 or more on Instacart.
Will This Work For Android?
While this is a more convenient way of keeping digital payment methods together, there does seem to be an issue.
With the Android platform on many different devices, not all users rely on Android Pay. There are companies who offer their own digital payment methods such as Samsung Pay, PayPal and even retailers such as Walmart.
At the moment Google won’t be able to streamline all the digital payment methods with Google Pay and that can be an issue for users who don’t want multiple payment methods on their mobile device.
