What is Google Pay? Google Pay is a digital wallet and online payment system. It was developed by Google and was launched in September 2015 under the name Android Pay which became Google pay in January 2018. The goal of the app is to allow in-app, as well as tap-to-pay purchases.

What are the key features of Google Pay?

Money Transfer: you can send and receive money from friends and family, but also create groups to organize trips or else. Transfers are free with a Google Pay balance and you have no fees if you use an Automated Clearing House (ACH).
Contactless Payment: to proceed to contactless payment, you only have to hold your unlocked phone to the reader. However, you can use this feature only where contactless payments are accepted.
Online Shopping: you can use the app at checkout.
Organization: more than a digital wallet, Google Pay will help you to manage your budget. You can get weekly summaries and overall tracks, as well as reminders for upcoming bills.
Cashbacks: you can get cash back that will be automatically added to your balance for paying and referring friends.

How to use Google Pay?

Google Pay’s interface is pretty simple. To set up your Google Pay account, you have to download the app and then connect with your Google account and choose your payment methods: they include credit and debit cards, but also gift and loyalty cards. The app will also ask you to link it to your phone number (this will later allow you to confirm payments). Next, you will get to set your preferences: do you want to be discoverable by your friends, do you want to opt for rewards (see above)? If you find setting up the app difficult, you can always follow the official guide.

Is Google Pay safe?

In order to secure your expenses, the app asks for authentication (fingerprint, pattern, PIN, or face to verify your identity) before every payment. To that, you can also add card encryption, meaning that the app shares a unique Virtual Account Number instead of your actual card number with the receiver. However, keep in mind that once you send money to someone, it means that this is your choice - and Google Pay cannot do anything about that and will not refund you.