WHAT IS GOOGLE PAY? EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GPAY

If you’re conversant with Amazon Pay, Visa Checkout and Apple Pay, chances are that you readily have a grasp of what Google Pay is.

Well, Google Pay is one of the commonest mobile payment options out there. In addition to the possibility of linking the payment options with credit cards, ease of use is one great benefit that users of popular mobile payment options would cherish. 

This post is, therefore, a comprehensive review of Google Pay and so, it will answer the questions you may want to ask about the mobile payment system. 

Insight into Google Pay

Google Pay is the product of the merger between Google Wallet and Android Pay. Google Pay is, therefore, the current name for Google Wallet which initially served as Google’s platform for P2P transactions such as fund transfer and receipt between friends, relatives, etc. 

Summarily, the merger of Android Pay and Google Wallet in 2018 birthed the current Google Pay which functions as a payment platform as well as digital wallet. Besides its use for sending and receiving money, Google Pay is useful for other purposes including:

1. Storage of debit/credit card information
2. Google Pay lets you pay for items online, in-person and within apps. Prettily, only the information stored on your mobile phone is required for this payment method. But for the in-person payment method, the merchant you’re dealing with must permit the use of contactless payments or near field communication (NFC)

How Does Google Pay Work?

Google Pay is a simple app that operates based on the Android OS. Because it is exclusively dedicated for Android users, Google Pay is not compatible with iPhones. 

Basically, Google Pay works as an app for peer-to-peer transfer and receipt of money. While Google Pay is available for download from Playstore, the payment app is compatible with varying cards including debit and credit cards. 

Linking your debit/credit card to Google Pay

To add your credit/debit card to Google Pay, simply follow the steps below:

• Launch Google Pay on your smartphone, provided that you’ve downloaded the app (If otherwise, you may download it from Playstore and install as necessary)
• After opening the app, locate the “add credit or debit card” link and click it
• Subsequently, grab your credit card and snap it using your phone’s camera. Meanwhile, Google Pay will run a scan on your credit card, hence capturing essential details including the card number and the expiration date of the card

Verifying your card details

It is worthy of note that in linking your credit/debit card to Google Pay, you not only have to provide the card’s details but also verify them using any of the several verification methods available. 

Below is a list of the verification methods from which you can choose:

1. Putting a phone call to your credit card company or your bank and asking it to send your verification code
2. Receiving your verification code through a text message or an email message
3. Allowing your account to be charged on a temporary basis. While this charge will be relatively low, you’ll get to do payment verification in the Google Pay app
4. Lastly, you can opt to log into your bank’s mobile app or your credit card’s app for the verification of your payment method

With your card verification complete (perhaps through one of the listed verification methods), the card will be loaded into Google Pay. 

Linking your credit/debit card to Google Pay facilitates the application of Google Pay for your online purchases. To do that, you simply have to click the “Buy with G Pay” button you’ll find at the checkout for an online purchase you’re willing to make. If you don’t find the exact button, you’re very likely to find a similar button to it. In another way, you can opt to link your card during checkout. 

Security of Google Pay: Is There Any Concern?

You may have heard that it’s risky to have a third-party platform save your debit/credit card information on its server after having fetched it from your phone. So, you may want to agree that it is equally risky to have your debit/credit card information kept with Google.

However, Google does guarantee security for your vital (credit/debit) card information, courtesy of its multiple security measures. Therefore, what Google first does is equipping its servers with powerful encryption that guarantees security for stored information. 

Google prides on its ability to satisfactorily secure your data and frankly, Google’s boast of data security and cloud storage clearly attests to that ability. Meanwhile, another way Google prioritizes data security is stimulating users of Google Pay to activate security setups from their end. 

In other words, Google mandates intending users of Google Pay to activate their phones’ built-in security (precisely the automatic phone lock) before they can use the payment app. If your phone’s automatic lock is activated, Google Pay will be able to store up your account numbers. But if you deactivate the lock, Google Pay will strike out your account numbers and this way, you’ll be at the risk of losing your numbers to a malicious third party. 

Where You Can Use Google Pay

Google Pay can be used on various platforms and under different circumstances. Even if the merchant you’re dealing with doesn’t support Google Pay, chances are that you’ll still be able to trade with them. Besides its suitability for online payments, Google Pay is compatible with nearly all contactless payment terminals. Also, there’s a high likelihood that Google Pay will be supported in cases where “chip” credit card payments are compatible with your merchant’s terminal. 

The most pronounced downside to the use of Google Pay, however, is when the payment system doesn’t constitute the payment options supported by your credit card company.  

Simply put, Google’s wallet system must be compatible with both your credit card company and the company’s card (which you’re holding) before you can add the card to Google Pay.  

What to Do If Your Credit Card Isn’t Compatible with Google Pay

There are a decent number of alternative credit cards provided that Google Pay isn’t compatible with your present credit card. The site “Credit.com” has got a good deal of Google Pay-compatible cards which you can give a try. 

Conclusion

Mobile payment options are great to have but intending users could be bothered about whether it’s awkward to use them for payments, whether popular shopping platforms support such payment options and whether the payment options can secure users’ vital information.