Google Pay merges Android Pay and Google Wallet into a unified payment solution

Abner Li | Jan 8 2018 - 8:30 am PT

Google is kicking off the year in product announcements with a merger of Android Pay and Google Wallet. Google Pay will be the new moniker for both products going forward as the company aims to make payment experiences “simpler, safer, and more consistent.”

Google Pay will be replacing Android Pay branding everywhere, including in first-party apps, like Chrome and YouTube, as well as third-party ones, like Fandango. This rebrand will also extend to physical locations, like payment terminals and likely stickers in stores that advertise what mobile payment solutions are accepted.

Meanwhile, the new Google Pay will integrate the Google Wallet feature for making friend-to-friend payments like Venmo or Apple Pay Cash.

Such an integrated solution was long overdue given the rise of competing integrated solutions and was telegraphed by such efforts as “Pay with Google.” In its blog post, Google also notes that features like online and peer-to-peer payments will be coming to Tez in India.

These new features will fully rollout in the coming weeks, with Google Pay already available in Airbnb, Dice, Fandango, HungryHouse, and Instacart. Google hints that “Bringing everything into one brand is just the first step for Google Pay.”