Alphabet Combining Google Pay and Android Pay
Android Pay and Google Wallet are being combined into one solution called Google Pay.
Google Pay will allow people to make payments through Chrome, the Android Pay App, or Google Pay, an announcement from Pali Bhat, Alphabet’s Vice President of Product Management Systems states.
The announcement did say if Google Pay will include Tez, the Alphabet (NASDA: GOOG) payment app available in India. The Tez website did not mention Google Pay, but the integration of the two apps would be a logical next step.
Google Pay will enable users to use the information stored on their Google accounts through Android Pay. That means you should be able to pay with Google Pay at brick and mortar stores that accept Android Pay. It might also make it easier to pay with Android Pay online. A few apps including Fandango, Airbnb, Hungry House, B&H, and Instacart, are accepting Google Pay or G Pay.
A number of special offers for Google Pay users including $10 off of B&H and Instacart orders are available for users through Google’s support website. Another welcome to Google Pay will be PayPal’s Debit MasterCard which reportedly landed on Android Pay shortly before the Google Pay announcement.
The next logical step for Google Pay will be to add a Quick Read (QR) code app like that used by Tez. Some major retailers; including Walmart (NYSE: WMT); take QR code payment apps but not near field communications (NFC) wallets like Apple Pay and Android Pay.
Apple Pay Fees Banned in the UK
Apple Pay users in the United Kingdom just caught a huge break. Her Majesty’s Government will make it illegal for shops to charge a fee for credit and debit card transactions starting on 13 January, Nine to Five Mac reported.
All Visa, MasterCard, and American Express products will be affected by the ban. Theoretically, Google Pay should be covered by it too. The ban on such fees may soon spread to Europe because it is based on a European Union directive.
It remains to be seen if the ban will convince some retailers to stop accepting Apple Pay or Android Pay or limit credit transactions. Hopefully, other nations like the United States will follow the UK’s lead.
