Google Pay is a digital wallet and online payment system developed by Google to make shopping easier. It automatically syncs your saved credit cards wherever your Google account is logged in for fast payments, and it will import loyalty cards, tickets, and offers from your Gmail account. Google Pay is supported in most major markets, gas stations, and department stores.
ContentsHow to set up Google Pay Add payment accounts to Google PayThe Google Pay appWhere can I use Google Pay? Is Google Pay secure?Setting up Google Pay is simple.
You need a debit/credit card or PayPal account, a Google account and a supported Google Pay device (an Android phone, a Wear the watch OS, or a desktop/laptop computer). You can even use it with an iOS device. In this article, we'll focus on using Google Pay with your Android phone.
Chances are you already have the Google Pay app on your phone. If you don't, download the app from the Play Store.
When you first open the Google Pay app, you may be asked to agree to the Google Pay Terms of Service and Google Privacy Policy. Once done, you will be guided through an initial login process that will help you add a payment method.
There are a variety of features that you can access from the main G Pay screen. For starters, four buttons allow you to make contactless payments, send or request funds, view offers from Google partners, or track your spending.
At the very top of the screen, tap the "Ready to Pay" button or the "Contactless Pay" button below to access a page that allows you to submit payment information to a reader. (Be aware that many Google Pay readers can accept electronic payment without you having to access the application.) This same page displays the credit cards and other financial sources that you have registered with G Pay.
You can swipe to add a new credit or debit card, or PayPal account, to G Pay. If you've ever used a card or your PayPal account to pay for something on Google Play, such as an app or a movie, your other cards may already be listed there when you tap "Add payment method". However, you will need to enable them in order to use them as contactless payment sources.
At the bottom of the main screen, there are three icons:a label that shows you various sponsored offers, the main home screen icon, and a dollar sign that shows you various sponsored offers. "spending information" - in other words, how much you spent. You can also link your bank and other accounts here if you wish.
Finally, if you swipe down on the home screen, you can find businesses that accept G Pay and a list of people you've sent money to or you asked for money.
If you wish, you can also manage your account on the web by visiting the Google Pay account page.
In the real world, you can use Google Pay just about anywhere you see a credit card terminal with the G Pay logo. From there, all you have to do is unlock your phone and move it to the touch point of the terminal.
According to Google, it protects your information by sharing a temporary encrypted number (rather than your actual card number) with merchants. You can find more information about Google's security and privacy controls here.
If you lose your phone, Google Find My Device can be accessed from any computer with your Google Account. From here, you can remotely lock, locate, or wipe your phone and all of its contents.
You can monitor your account security by accessing the Google Pay app settings. To do this, tap your personal icon in the upper right corner and select Settings> Privacy and Security> Data &Personalization . This is where you can determine whether Google may send your information to third parties, share information about your creditworthiness, or share information with other Google companies for marketing purposes.
the Privacy and Security The pane also lets you determine how you authorize purchases and whether you can see other information such as bills from Gmail in Google Pay.
Updated March 11, 2022, 1:10 PM ET: This article was originally published on May 16, 2018. It has been updated to reflect changes to Google Pay's interface and functionality since that date.
