Google Pay was - and still is - the search engine company's go at taking on the dominance of PayPal. It's like two giant walruses fighting over a fish. Admittedly, a massive fish.
But leaving marine mammal metaphors to one side, what's the story with Google Pay? Do you need it?
The response to the latter is yes and no.
Google announced that there were some significant changes in the pipeline for Google Play.
Among the changes slated for Google Pay is the introduction of Plex. They will integrate this brand new mobile-first bank account directly into Google Pay. These accounts are widely offered from banks and credit unions and involve no monthly or overdraft fees or a minimum balance. Checking and savings accounts are both available as a means to help people save more comfortably.
The announcement coincided with a major overhaul of the Google Pay app on Android and iOS.
● Fast and straightforward method you can use online and offline
● Multiple security layers and encryption
● Encrypted offline at store checkouts
● Your phone becomes your wallet whether it's paying for a meal or buying flight tickets
● Keep track of all your transactions
● Pay friends and businesses
● Easily split bills with family and friends
Google Pay has only been around for five years but is now used every month by 150 million people in 30 countries.
Google Pay is accepted at over 100,000 restaurants, 30,000 gas stations, and as payment to park in more than 400 US cities. Okay, but that's probably not as impressive as you would have expected for a company with Google's clout.
On the upside, Google Pay does a great job of helping you track and analyze your spending. Plus, it can help you save money and redeem offers without clip coupons or copy/paste promo codes.
Sometimes, though, you get the impression that it's too clever for its own good. And making navigation a confusing mess.
● It's free to download
● Keep your financial life on track in one app
● You only pay fees when you fund transactions via a credit card
● Integrates with other Google services
● Not the easiest of interfaces to use
● Limited multi-language support
● Not as widely accepted offline as you might hope
● Somewhat US-centric, not all services are available overseas
You can use Google Pay on non-rooted Android phones and tablets so long as they run Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or later. Other app requirements vary by device.
iOS users need to set aside 237.4 MB's worth of storage space and run iOS 11.0 or later.
Review ratings are mixed. The app scores a 3.9 out of five at Google Play, mainly thanks to the number of one-star reviews it has received.
Google Play fares a bit better over on the App Store, with iOS users rating it as a respectable 4.4 out of five. Interestingly, there are almost as many one-star reviews as four-star reviews.
