GPay and Google Assistant losing ‘pay for gas’ in the US; in-app parking also deprecated

While GPay is getting some Material You tweaks, the app is losing the ability to pay for parking and gas right from your phone in the US.

Starting with gas, GPay users in recent days have been prompted about the upcoming removal of the feature on Monday, December 12. Google says it “originally offered this functionality to give people a simpler way to pay at the pump and to help our partners enable contactless payments.” 

The wider adoption of chip readers at pumps means “consumers are increasingly using tap and pay as their preferred method of contactless payments,” and Google is encouraging people to use Google Wallet to tap-and-pay.

Supported partners included 76, Conoco, Exxon, Mobil, Phillips 66, and Shell. When you were at a station, the app let you select a pump and specify the payment method. Once you’ve filled up your car, there’s a confirmation in GPay.

Meanwhile, the company also confirmed to us that Google Assistant is losing its “pay for gas” command. Launched in September of 2021, it worked on both phones and Android Auto.

Meanwhile, GPay is also removing the ability to “Pay for street parking,” which appeared just underneath “Get gas” in the main feed. This involved entering a zone number or selecting a structure from a map, and then specifying an increment.

GPay would remind you before time ran out and let you extend. After December 12, people are advised to “use their local city’s mobile payment option for parking.” It was very nice to have one app that supported multiple meters.

“We are removing the pay-for-park feature from the Google Pay app in the US. We originally offered this functionality to give people a simpler way to pay at meter and to help our partners enable contactless payments. Consumers can continue to use their local city’s mobile payment option for parking.”

“We are removing the pay-for-gas feature from the Google Pay app in the US. We originally offered this functionality to give people a simpler way to pay at the pump and to help our partners enable contactless payments. As gas stations continue to get equipped with chip readers, consumers are increasingly using tap and pay as their preferred method of contactless payments. Consumers can continue to use Google Wallet and Google Pay app to tap and pay at the pump.”

— Google Spokesperson

More on GPay:

• Google Wallet is now available on Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 as it expands to more countries
• Pixel Watch confirmed to support transit cards in Google Wallet with future update
• Google unlocks the ability for users to share digital car keys in Wallet
• December Google Play System Updates: Digital driver’s license beta, Pixel Tablet prep

Thanks, Clint