What is Google Pay and how does it work? Full guide

Wondering: what is Google Pay®¹ and how does it work? This guide is for you.

Google Pay offers convenient ways to make mobile payments with your Android device, in person and online. If you’re in the US you can also send money with Google Pay.

Read on for all you need to know about Google Pay, Google Wallet and G-Pay — plus we’ll also introduce Wise as a great low cost option for sending and spending money overseas with convenient Google Pay services.

Learn more about Wise

What is Google Pay?

Keen to learn more about Google Pay and how it works? We’ll look at the features in full in just a moment — first let’s have a quick overview of the key ways Google Pay works.

Some of the key features² include:

• Shop online in just a few clicks, and make mobile payments with your phone or watch

• Part of Google Wallet app to store cards, tickets and more digitally

• Add card payment and shipping information once, to autofill details when shopping online in future

• Send money to other Google Pay users in the US — or overseas through a third party like Wise

Want to learn more about Google Pay? Here are some other handy resources for you:
Interested in how Google Pay lines up vs PayPal? Get a Google Pay vs PayPal review here Stuck between Samsung Pay and Google Pay? Here’s a Samsung Pay vs Google Pay guide to help

What's the difference between Google Pay and Google Wallet?

You’ll often find people use the terms Google Pay, G-Pay and Google Wallet pretty interchangeably.

Over the years, Google Pay has had slightly different branding, which can also vary based on the region you’re in — hence the variations on the app’s name.

At present in the US, Google Pay is part of the Google Wallet app⁴. Google Pay is the secure payment service from Google, which lets you tap to pay in stores and online, by adding a payment card just once.

Google Wallet is the broader wallet function, which lets you hold tickets, passes and other important cards or documents digitally for convenience.

Google Wallet is now available in 50+ countries and regions globally.

Which devices are compatible with Google Pay?

Google Pay can be used on most Android devices, including phones, tablets, smart watches and Wear OS by Google devices.

There are tens of thousands of different device models which can be used with Google Pay⁵, so the chances are that yours is covered.

How does Google Pay work?

To use Google Pay you’ll need to get the Google Wallet or Google Pay app, and then add one or more payment methods, like a credit or debit card.

Lots of different banks, credit unions and specialist services offer Google Pay compatible cards, although not every card works just yet, so you’ll need to double check yours.

Once you’ve got a payment method set up, you can use Google Pay to pay online and in stores. In a store you’ll just need to tap to make a contactless payment — just like you would with a contactless card.

Online you’ll be able to select the Google Pay option at checkout, and your payment and shipping details will be conveniently auto populated so you don’t need to worry about entering them every time you shop.

Setting up Google Pay on your phone: step by step

Here’s how to set up Google Pay for the first time on your Android device:

Step 1. Download and open the Google Wallet app

Step 2. Add a card by scanning it with your phone’s camera, or by entering the details manually.

Step 3. Set up a screen lock on your device if you don’t already have one

Step 4. You’re ready to go, and can add multiple payment cards if you’d like, to toggle between them when paying

To make contactless payments, make sure your phone’s NFC is turned on, and Google Pay is set as the default payment app.

Making payments with Google Pay

Once you have a card added to Google Pay you’re ready to make mobile payments through the service. Exactly how you do this will depend on the device you have — for example your phone or smart watch.

When you’re shopping online you’ll simply need to select Google Pay when you see it as a payment option at the checkout. If you have multiple cards added to Google Pay you’ll be prompted to confirm which to use, and may need to enter the card’s security code to keep your account safe.

You’ll also be able to toggle between different shipping details if you have added more than one address, with addresses retained for future use.

Mobile payments are also available through Google Pay. How this works might depend a bit on the specific phone or device you have, and the type of security you have set up on it.

However, in general you’ll simply need to unlock your phone with your PIN, Face ID or fingerprint, and hold it above the POS reader, where you see the contactless payment symbol.

Sending money with Google Pay

You can send money with Google Pay to other people in the US, Singapore or India⁶. To use this service you’ll need a US phone number, an internet connection and an email address.

You’ll then be able to pick someone from your phone’s contacts to pay, or add a new recipient with just their email or phone number.

Your options to send money overseas with Google Pay directly are pretty limited. However, you can get around this by using a third party service like Wise, to pay conveniently with Google Pay, and access fast, cheap international transfers. More on that next.

Send money abroad using Google Pay with Wise

Want to send or spend money overseas with Google Pay? Check out Wise.

Wise offers international transfers to 80+ countries which use the mid-market exchange rate with low fees from 0.41%⁷. And because Wise is Google Pay compatible you’ll be able to fund your payment easily through G-Pay for convenience.

Wise transfers are fast — and can even arrive instantly⁸ — for those times you need to get your money moving quickly.

Want to use Google Pay to make mobile payments overseas, or to shop online in a foreign currency?

You can also get a Wise Account to hold 50+ currencies, and order a Wise card you can add to Google Pay.

Use the Wise card next time you’re spending in a foreign currency and you’ll automatically get the mid-market rate with low fees, and no extra foreign transaction charges to worry about.

That can make tapping to pay with Google cheaper as well as being more convenient.

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.

Transaction speed claimed depends on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions.

Where can you use Google Pay?

Google Pay is offered for customers in over 50 countries and regions, including the US. Once you have Google Pay set up you can use it to pay anywhere contactless payments are available, and online with merchants that support Google Pay at the checkout.

Not every credit or debit card will support Google Pay — so you’ll need to check your preferred payment card is available.

However, most major banks, credit unions and specialist providers offer cards which can be linked with Google Pay, so the chances are you’ll be OK.

Pros and cons of using Google Pay

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
No Google Pay fee to pay Convenient for both online and in person payments Add multiple payment methods Send money within the US easily Secure and easy to set up	Any fees you’d usually pay when using your card still apply Google Pay’s international transfer services are limited — use Google Pay alongside a specialist like Wise to do more

Frequent questions about G-Pay

Still not sure about using Google Pay? Here are the answers to a few more common questions.

What is the G-Pay app?

The G-Pay or Google Pay app is the online and mobile payment service offered by Google, and available for tens of thousands of Android device types.

Over the years Google Pay has had different names, including some regional variations on the app’s name and functionality.

At present, in the US, Google Pay is available through Google Wallet, but you’ll still hear people refer to G Pay, Google Pay and Google Wallet pretty interchangeably.

Is Google Pay safe to use?

Yes. Google Pay has its own built in security and encrypts sensitive information. You’ll also find you can set up instant notifications whenever a transaction is processed, so it’s easier to keep on top of your money.

Read our full guide about Google Pay safety

Can you use Google Pay internationally

You can use Google Pay to make mobile payments anywhere contactless payment is offered. You can also use Google Pay to send payments directly — but in this case you can only send to India and Singapore.

If you want to send money to other countries with Google Pay, try a specialist service like Wise. With Wise you can send to 80+ countries with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees. Set up your transfer online or in app and pay with Google Pay for convenience.

Create a Wise Account
in minutes

Does Google Pay charge any transaction fees?

Google Pay doesn’t charge any transaction fees. However, it’s important to know you’ll still pay any fees you would when using your payment card directly.

For example, if your card charges a foreign transaction fee and you use it with Google Pay overseas, this charge will still apply. Avoid this by getting an international Wise card, which you can use with Google Pay to spend overseas with low fees from 0.41%⁷.

How can you add a new payment method to Google Pay?

Here’s how to add a new payment method to Google Pay⁹:

Open the Google Wallet app Tap Add to Wallet, then tap Payment card Tap New credit or debit card Use your phone camera to scan the card, or tap Enter details manually Tap Save, then read and accept the terms and conditions Read the Issuer Terms and tap Accept You may now need to verify your payment method for security

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Google Pay is very convenient for online and mobile payments. Instead of carrying multiple cards when you’re out and about you can simply pay with your phone or smart device, plus online shopping is more convenient as you’ll only need to add your personal and payment details once.

Use this guide to get set up with Google Pay — and remember to check out Wise to use Google Pay when sending money to 80+ countries, and to spend in 170+ countries with no foreign transaction fees to worry about.

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Sources:

1. Google Pay
2. Google Pay — About
3. Google Wallet
4. About Google Wallet
5. Google Pay — Developers
6. Send money with Google Pay
7. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
8. The speed of transaction claim depends on funds availability, approval by Wise's proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners' banking system, and may not be available for all transactions
9. Add a payment method to Google Pay
10. Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash

Sources checked on 05.02.2023