Is Google Pay safe?

Google Pay®¹, which is now offered as part of the broader Google Wallet app in the US, offers easy ways to pay and send money with just your smart device.

You can also make fast international payments with Google Pay and Wise.

But the most important question is probably: how safe is Google Pay? If you’re wary about Google Pay, or wondering is GPay safe and looking to learn more, this guide is for you.

How safe is Google Pay?

Google Pay is generally considered to be safe to use as long as you take normal common sense precautions.

Google Pay uses a broad selection of security measures to keep customers and accounts safe and secure³. These are both manual, and automatic, running in the background 24/7.

When you use GPay you’ll set up 2 factor authentication which helps to keep your account secure. This means you’ll have to confirm a transaction with a PIN, Face ID, a fingerprint or whichever security measures are supported by your specific device.

All data is securely encrypted by Google, so it can’t be accessed — plus, Google passes a virtual card number to the merchant when you make payment, known as tokenization, so your card details are never actually shared⁴.

In addition to all this, Google has fraud prevention teams and protocols which look out for suspicious activity, and you’ll always be able to lock your phone remotely if you are concerned about it being lost or stolen.

Is Google Pay secure?

Google Pay is secure, and follows industry best practice and legal requirements to keep customers safe.

All Google Pay transactions follow Payment Card Industry (PCI) security requirements⁵. In addition to this you can get details of all the steps taken by Google to follow compliance standards and certification requirements, which can vary based on where in the world you’re based⁵ ⁶.

To make sure Google’s processes are constantly fit for purpose, there are also regular security audits which look for vulnerabilities and stress test the system to make sure it’s safe even if criminals were to try to prey on Google Pay users⁷.

When it comes to Google Pay and data protection⁸, you can also rest assured Google follows all required legal standards, and will not sell your data to other companies⁹.

Is Google Pay safe from hackers?

Google Pay has industry leading safeguards in place to ensure accounts are safe from hackers.

However, criminals will look for ways to steal information, data and money through digital means — which means you do need to take common sense steps when using your Google Pay account, to stay as safe as possible.

What happens if someone hacks my Google Pay account?

If you’re unlucky enough to be a victim of fraud through Google Pay you’ll need to report it to your bank or the financial institution that issued the card that was used¹⁰.

Depending on what’s happened you might also need to report it to Google and to your local police. Your bank will be able to advise on the next steps in your specific case.

Make secure international transfers using Google Pay with Wise

Looking for ways to send money overseas with Google Pay? Thanks to the Google Pay partnership with Wise you can cut the costs of sending money abroad and still benefit from all the convenience of using Google Pay.

Wise international transfers can be sent to 80+ countries, in 50+ currencies, with low fees from 0.41%¹¹. Set up your payment in the Wise app or online — or in some cases, right from the Google Pay app.

Add your recipient’s details for a free, instant quote which uses the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees based on the country and currency you’re sending to, and how you’d like to pay.

Check everything over, confirm, and your money could be on the move right away.

Get started with Wise

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information

Is Google Wallet safe?

Google Wallet is the broader app which lets you hold tickets and loyalty cards, as well as making payments with your linked payment cards.

Google Wallet is covered by similar security to the Google Pay app — so you can use it safely with the normal common sense precautions in place.

Common questions about G-Pay safety

Let’s look at a few more common questions and answers about using G-Pay safely.

How does Google Pay protect your personal information?

Google Pay complies with relevant national and state level data protection laws, and doesn’t sell data to third parties. You’ll be able to view and manage some privacy settings in the Google Pay app, too.

Is Google Pay safer than using a debit or credit card?

When you use Google Pay you don’t need to carry a physical card with you, which can make it safer than using your regular card when you’re out and about.

Any consumer protections you’re entitled to through your physical card still apply when you spend with Google Pay, and you’ll also have Google’s anti-fraud team keeping an eye out for suspicious transactions, too.

Does Google Pay have fraud protection?

Google Pay has a range of manual and automatic anti-fraud protocols in place to keep your account, card and data safe. If your card issuer has its own fraud or consumer protections in place these should continue to apply when you use Google Pay.

Is it safe to use Google Pay in public?

Yes, it is safe to use Google Pay to spend when you’re out and about. With Google Pay you don’t need to carry a physical card, and you don’t need to let your phone out of your sight when paying, which also means there’s less chance of you losing the card or having it cloned, compared to using a physical card.

Bottomline: is Google Pay safe to use?

Google Pay is safe to use, both online and for mobile payments. As with all things, you’ll need to take regular common sense precautions such as not sharing your PIN with others, and only sending money to people you know, to keep your account secure.

Try using Google Pay with Wise for secure foreign currency payments which use the mid-market rate and low, transparent fees.

Learn more about Wise