Google Pay Replaces Android Pay, Google Wallet as New Payments Platform

Google has finally started the rollout of Google Pay, a single payments platform that merges Android Pay and Google Wallet. The search giant had made the announcement back in January this year. Google is rolling out an update to the app while introducing a new design and features for the unified payments service. It is also launching a redesign of the Google Wallet app, which will now be called Google Pay Send.

The rollout of the Google Pay app has already started, the company noted in a blog post. Google has also updated the website with the latest features. It has also released four YouTube videos to explain how to work with the new app, including how your info stays safe, how to pay in stores, and how to add and verify a card. As of now, the functionality of the app remains mostly unchanged.

Google Pay app interface has two tabs - Home and Cards. As per the images on the Google Play store, the Google Pay app shows recent payment activity, offers and stores available nearby, and a card-style interface which includes a user's debit, credit, and other cards.

With the new branding, Google is apparently looking to streamline operations, much like Apple and Samsung are attempting with their respective Apple Pay and Samsung Pay platforms. Google appears to have big plans with the new app, as it has claimed that service will make its way to all Google products, including Chrome and Assistant.

Similar to Android Pay, users will be able to use payment information stored in the app on a wide variety of apps and websites when using an Android smartphone or even the Chrome browser. To recall, Android Pay was launched back in 2015 as a way to make payments at stores but soon expanded to get in-app purchase support and integration with mobile banking apps.

As mentioned earlier, Google has rebranded the Google Wallet app as Google Pay Send and also updated the design to be in line with the rest of Google Pay. However, it may only be a temporary feature before the full version of the app rolls out.

When it comes to the rollout, people in the US and the UK will be able to use the app for sending and receiving money within the next few months. For other countries, Google has not revealed the release dates. Google, in an earlier blog post, had hinted that it "will also be bringing these experiences to Tez users in India." It remains to be seen whether Tez will be rebranded to Google Pay or not.