Google Wallet has made its official debut in India, offering a number of services, including boarding passes, loyalty cards, event tickets, and public transit passes, Google announced in a recent blog post. Despite this expansion, Google Pay remains the primary payment platform in the country.
Ram Papatla, general manager and India engineering lead for Android at Google, said, "Google Pay is not going anywhere. Google Pay is our primary payments use case" (via TechCrunch).
According to Business of Apps, in India, Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay compete for market share. Paytm has the largest user base and transaction volume; however, PhonePe and Google Pay lead in processing UPI payments.
Google's recent decision to discontinue its GPay app and peer-to-peer (P2P) payments service in the US signals the end of an era for the revamped Google Pay.Image via Google Wallet
Google Wallet Boasts Seamless Integration with India's Top Brands
One of Google Wallet's key features is its integration with over 20 of India's top brands, facilitating the seamless addition of boarding passes, tickets, and more.
Through partnerships with companies like Flipkart, Air India, BMW, Domino's, and MakeMyTrip, Google aims to enhance user experience within the app. Integration with Gmail further streamlines the process by allowing the automatic population of Google Wallet with existing cards, passes, tickets, and loyalty cards.
Google Wallet will coexist with India's existing Google Pay app, focusing specifically on non-payment use cases. Adding content to the app is made easy through QR code scanning, barcodes, links shared through Gmail or a dedicated "Add to Google Wallet" button on partner apps.
This feature caters to various needs, including airline boarding passes, luggage tags, and parking receipts. It is made possible thanks to signed partnerships with major transportation companies in India, such as Hyderabad Metro, Kochi Metro, VRL Travels, and Abhibus.
Google also announced that users can now use their Android phones as corporate badges. Google has collaborated with system integrators such as Wavelynx and Alert Enterprise to make workplace access more convenient through Google Wallet.
The timing of Google Wallet's launch in India aligns strategically with Android's dominance in the country's smartphone market. Citing Counterpoint data, TechCrunch tells us that with Android holding a staggering 93% market share and smartphone penetration reaching 70% in 2023, Google has a vast user base to tap into.
A February 2024 Statista survey spotlights Google Pay's leading position as India's most used online payment brand, capturing a substantial 79% share. However, Google Wallet faces competition from other digital wallet providers like Samsung Wallet and Apple Wallet, as well as messaging apps like WhatsApp, which offer similar services.
You can download Google Wallet from the Google Play Store to get started.
