Following a teaser yesterday, a brand new version of the Google Pay app is now available on Android, but it’s in an invite-only “early access” version right now. Here’s what’s new.
The new Google Pay app delivers a complete redesign to everyone. If you’re familiar with Tez, the version of Pay that’s been available in India for a while now, this interface is basically the same.
The app shows friends and family you can pay directly through the app at the top of the screen with nearby businesses that accept Google Pay appearing below. That includes restaurants where users can both order and pay for food through Pay. If you’ve paid to that restaurant from apps such as DoorDash using Google Pay, you’ll see your order history on the page too.
Beyond restaurants, the new Google Pay can also help you pay for gas at select gas stations and even help pay for parking, all from your smartphone. This all requires support from retailers, but when available it’s a useful addition.
The app also features an “Explore” tab with various offers and rewards as well as an “Insights” tab.
The new Google Pay is about more than just spending money, though, it’s also about managing it. Google has added a new feature that allows users to connect their bank or credit cards using Plaid. When enabled, Pay can update account info with your bank, show balances, and even track payments and transactions on those cards. Pay has long been able to pull receipts and passes from Gmail, but with the new experience, it can also import receipts from Google Photos. The Insights tab can show how much money you’ve spent and how much you have, as well as searching for transactions quickly.
What about NFC payments? The heart and soul of the old Google Pay is still very much available, but in a different sense. At the top of the UI there’s a card indicator for your primary card and tapping it allows you to swap cards, view tickets, and access gift cards or loyalty cards. It’s a bit more cumbersome, though, which might irk some users. At least Android 11 makes it easier to access Google Pay.
Finally, the new Google Pay also includes a “Profile” page with a QR code for easy sharing. The page also has your Pay balance, and a referral option as well. Google will be offering rewards as a part of the app going forward, but for now, the only rewards that are widely available are referrals to bring users on board. When you refer someone to the service, their first payment with Pay can net you up to $10 while that person can get up to $5 off their first purchase.
Oh, and there’s also a new logo, though it’s the same one that rolled out in India a few weeks ago.
The new Google Pay app is now rolling out in the United States through the Google Play Store and iOS App Store.
You can learn more about what the new Google Pay app can do in the presentation below that dives in deep on the app’s new features.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments