In the US, Google is ending support for its stand-alone payments app. GPay will no longer be functioning on current smartphones or available on the Play Store as of June 4. The discontinuation of peer-to-peer (P2P) payment functionality in the US aligns with this decision.
In order to combine mobile payment services within the Google Wallet app, Google is changing its approach. Now, users may control their payment options, pay in-store with a tap, and make direct online payments using Google Wallet.
“Google has invested in enhancing payment experiences, such as improving Google Pay autofill in Chrome, facilitating public transit payments, and expanding the types of passes stored in Wallet. Further improvements are planned for the future,” said in a blog post.
Users can manage their cards on the Google Pay website and download the most recent version of the Google Wallet app for Android from Google Play.
Transition to Google Wallet: Changes to Payment Methods and P2P Functionality in the US
To guarantee a seamless user experience, current payment methods connected to GPay will immediately move to Google Wallet. But P2P payments—a widely used function for paying friends or dividing bills—will no longer be accessible in the US.
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Uncertain Closure of GPay: Speculations on Google’s Strategic Shift to Google Wallet
The GPay app was closed for reasons that Google hasn’t made clear. Some speculate that it might be an attempt to simplify the user interface and possibly lower development expenses. Furthermore, Google Wallet may provide improved interaction with other Google services, resulting in a platform that is more cohesive.
Versions of the GPay app will still be available in countries like Singapore and India even though Google is ending it in the US. “For the millions of people who use the Google Pay app in India and Singapore, nothing will change as we continue to build for the unique needs in those countries,” Google wrote on its blog.
Google’s Strategic Expansion: Google Wallet’s Launch in India and Transition from GPay in the US
After relaunching the app as a digital wallet platform in the US about two years ago, Google debuted its digital wallet with local integrations in India last month. Google Pay will continue to be the major payment app in India, while Google Wallet will function alongside it. Google declared that Wallet will take the role of the GPay app in the US starting in February.
“Google Pay is here to stay. During a press conference in New Delhi, Google’s general manager and India engineering lead for Android, Ram Papatla, stated, “Google Pay is our primary payments use case.” “Wallet is designed specifically with non-payment use cases in mind.”
Indian Android users will be able to store and retrieve boarding credentials, loyalty passes, gift cards, and event tickets using Google Wallet. These can be added by utilizing a special “Add to Google Wallet” button seen on partner apps, or by scanning a barcode, QR code, or link provided through Gmail. Along with storing transit tickets, the software enables users to create passes from any image that has a barcode or QR code, including parking receipts, luggage tags, and airline boarding passes.
