[ad_1]
On November 18, Google held a half-hour online broadcast, where he spoke about new plans for the development of Pay: The company decided to restart its proprietary fast payment service for goods and services, making it a more universal financial product. At the same time, a new version of the Google Pay application for Android and iOS was presented, based on the Flutter framework. Now only available in the US; There is still no news about the global launch and the Ukrainian regional one.
The Google Pay app, as already mentioned, switched to the Flutter framework (we talk about it in more detail here), received a redesign (this is still the familiar Material Design), a new logo, and many new features.
With the new Google Pay, the company has tried to combine existing developments in its arsenal to create a universal financial app that competes directly with many popular apps and services, including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Square Cash, Simplifi, Truebill. , Shop and online banks. In fact, Samsung is trying to do something similar with the Samsung Pay Card project in the UK.
The new version of the Google Pay application offers three main tabs: Pay, Explore and Insights. Now let’s take a closer look at each one.
Pay
The central and main tab of Google Pay, which integrates various existing Google Pay services: quick payments, including contactless payments via NFC and P2P transfers. The structure is designed in such a way that, if necessary, the user can get more details than before. For example, Google has remade P2P transfers into a kind of messenger. Generally speaking, Google has picked up the old again and created a chat in Google Pay: in a separate window, you can see the transfer history and send a request to transfer funds to one or the other contact (I involuntarily remember the function of transfers of money from Gmail).
In addition to personal chats, group chats are also supported; for example, you can split a bill at a restaurant with friends. Yes, monobank has had this for a long time. But Google went a bit further: directly in the chat, you can track payments and, if necessary, remind you with the corresponding translation request.
Google has also improved the section with loyalty cards; now you can contact sellers directly through … chats. There you can also view the purchase history and receive information about promotions (where without it).
To explore
A section with a self-explanatory name – Potentially interesting offers will be displayed here.
By default, information about promotions and business offers will be displayed, but users will be able to allow Google algorithms to track purchases for more relevant offers. Google, of course, promises that it will not share this data with third-party vendors. The company even proposed a special three-month “trial” period with constant reminders to collect data in order to gain user trust.
An important point is that when using a refund offer from a particular seller, a portion of the purchase refund is credited to the Google Pay account, and not to the bank account linked to the account.
Also in this section there is a barcode and QR scanner. With it, you can scan a product to compare prices in other stores. In addition, Google Pay using personal barcodes can make money transfers without the need to exchange contact information.
Insights
The tab on the far right of the new Google Pay app brings most of your financial information together in one place. Basically, it combines search with Google’s ability to manipulate data with smart algorithms. After adding bank cards, this section will begin to display transaction-based future expense, savings, and expense data. The service works with standard checking, savings, debit and credit cards.
The system is also capable of reading data from photos, receipts and receipts from Gmail and Google Photos ”, but the user must first allow it. Speaking of search, the company says it will be human. That is, it will understand natural requests. It will also be possible to combine searches in a string to limit the search to the operation you are looking for.
Also in Google Pay will appear an analog of “Stories” with a brief summary of financial information, for example, about large transactions or the total amount that the user has transferred to friends during the last month, and so on.
Plex
Contrary to expectations, a physical payment card under the Google brand has not (yet) become a reality. Instead of a card, the company will launch the banking service Plex, which will become part of Google Pay.
To be clear: Google itself will not provide banking services, but will allow some banks to use Google Pay as their online banking application. Currently, the company cooperates with 11 banks and credit institutions. That is, it will be possible to open an account with a particular bank through Google Pay.
Once again: the new Google Pay is now only available in the US, but the global rollout is only a matter of time, and not that far off.
