Google rebrands Pay by consolidating digital wallets

Alphabet has consolidated Android Pay and Google Wallet, rebranding the merged entity into Google Pay.

Pali Bhat, VP of product management for payments, made the announcement that Google wants to give its users a singular approach to achieve speed at the checkout process.

"With Google Pay, it’ll be easier for you to use the payment information saved to your Google Account, so you can speed through checkout with peace of mind," Bhat added. "Over the coming weeks, you’ll see Google Pay online, in-store, and across Google products, as well as when you’re paying friends*.

Available on Airbnb and other apps and websites popular with its users, Google Pay is open to advertisers and agencies that want to integrate their commercial digital properties with the wallet, joining early adopters that offer incentives that drive customer adoption.

The changes will also be implemented in India and affect Tez digital wallet.

Within the APAC region, the dominant digital wallets include Dash, Apple Pay, and Samsung Play. New market entrants will need to ensure seamless interoperability by aligning with local standards, carriers, regulators and bodies. On the merchant side, success hinges on being able to regularly bundle payment with non-payment services such as coupons, loyalty offers, and proximity payments.