You can finally use your Google Pay balance for in-store payments
What you need to know
- Google Pay lets users turn their balance into a virtual card.
- Users will be able to make contactless payments using their Google Pay balance.
- The feature is currently available for Google Pay users in the U.S.
Google Pay is giving users another option to make contactless payments, thanks to its new virtual card.
The company has announced that users in the United States can now request a virtual Google Pay balance card that will enable them to make purchases at stores that accept contactless payments.
The new feature could help streamline the process of using funds in the app instead of having to go through the process of transferring them to a bank or charge card, which could take some time to appear.
Google says that the new virtual card is safe and secure "as the full card number is never shown" and allows users to bypass using their own personal credit or debit cards when making in-person or online purchases.
Since the new Google Pay was introduced late last year for the best Android phones in select countries, the company has been hyping up the ability to send and receive payments from friends and family for person-to-person payments. The new feature extends the app's functionality, using your balance as a virtual prepaid card. Another popular payment app, Venmo, already has a physical debit card of its own, so this new feature brings Google Pay closer to parity.
For anyone who has not yet taken advantage of the new app, we can help you download and set up the new Google Pay so that you can get started sending money to your loved ones.
The new feature is rolling out now in the U.S. and will be "available to all Android users soon."
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The new Google Pay app is an easy way to keep track of your money, send and receive funds from loved ones, and store your loyalty cards for quick and easy access.
Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.