Google Pay launches to replace Android Pay and Google Wallet

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At the beginning of the year, Google announced that it'd be merging its Android Pay and Google Wallet services under one new umbrella called "Google Pay." A little more than a month since that announcement, the Google Pay app is now rolling out to users via an update on the Play Store.

What does this change mean? Admittedly, not a whole lot. The Android Pay app on the Play Store is being changed to Google Pay, and while there's a new logo and tweaked UI, all of Android Pay's core functionality is still here. You can view all of your linked cards, pay for things in stores without having to first open the Google Pay app, and make payments online when you see a "Buy with G Pay" button.

Google says that users in the United States and the United Kingdom will be able to use the main Google Pay app to send and receive money from friends and family members in "the next few months", but until then, the Google Wallet app is being changed to Google Pay Send with an updated UI and branding, too.

The Google Pay branding is showing up in the Play Store on my end, but I've still got the old Android Pay interface on my Pixel 2. It'll likely take a couple days for the changes to be rolled out to everyone, so don't fret if you aren't seeing the new look right away.

If you do already have the new Google Pay app, what do you think about it so far?

Download: Google Pay (free) (opens in new tab)

Joe Maring
Joe Maring

Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.
55 Comments
  • "The rebrand to end them all." Until six months from now, when they decide to call it G pay or Play pay or something.
  • Ohhh.. I like G pay
  • It is pretty good.. TM, pay me Google!
  • Ironically, they pay you via PayPal.
  • I use pay pal to pay people or they use it to pay me, mainly because most people i know have a pay pal account, so it is a lot easier.
  • I find that a lot of places I use it (where either the sticker is on the door or there is some type of signage at the point of sale) the cashiers are still unaware Android pay even exists let alone how the transaction processes.
  • Most people don't know their phones have NFC. Apple is a marketing genius, so NFC is basically Apple Pay to most people, like Kleenex, Band-aid, and iPad.
  • A lot of phone still don't have NFC, the phone i looked at before I got the one I have got did not have one. My old Nexus 4 did, but I only used it a few times when Android pay first came out.
    On my new phone it is turned off.
  • why does it matter if the cashier is aware or not. they wouldn't even have to change anything when a customer pay by a card or by android pay
  • Most of the time, it wouldn't, but I could see some uninformed cashier freaking out, thinking someone was "hacking the terminal."
  • Or at a drive through with no tap to pay you present your phone to pay and get a puzzled look in return.
  • Great, now please stop changing things Google.
  • It'll be Pixel Pay next year
  • Does it have MST?
  • No why would it? It's old tech that's been dead for years except in the US
  • Ah, the US. That tiny, unimportant, easily-ignored market.
  • Yep but the world is so much bigger
  • Not really. Not when the US supports the rest of the world monetarily and militarily; the US is a much greater market
  • The same US that owes China trillions?
  • yep, saying that the terminals in the UK still have the means, but loyalty cards still have a strip, so do my discount card and i suppose we have to keep them for tourists. At work they still have the old manual card imprinters under the checkouts, just in case.
  • Use where I can but still get looked at like I'm downloading every previous person's info that used the machine before me. I love the technology, but I think instead of advertising stupid camera functions or emoji stuff they should advertise android pay more. I have had loss prevention stop me multiple times haha.
  • So there's going to be a Google Pay (Android Pay) and Google Pay Send (Google Wallet)?
    I've used Google Wallet a couple times. Works great.
  • Yep, at least at first. Within a few months, Google Pay Send functionality should be merged into the main Google Pay app.
  • Forgot this was happening, didn't see "android pay" option at POS yesterday so paid with PayPal instead then went back to check the options again and saw Google Pay. The penny dropped too late! Interesting that the acquirer had updated their systems but my device is still showing Android Pay
  • Next will be Yahoo Pay 😂
  • People it's technology, continuous improvement will always be there.
  • Anyone get it yet?????
  • No not yet although in Google play it shows Google pay installed but still i have Android pay
  • Yes. Only became available in the past few mins though (UK)
  • Yup, mine updated this morning. On essential phone, Nexus 6p and lg g5. But haven't gotten the the Google wallet update yet
  • I've still got the old Android Pay interface on my Nokia 8.
  • Yeah mine still the old Android pay I even uninstalled and installed Google pay but it still is the old app
  • Google is confused, why change the name from Android Pay to Google Play? Android Pay was already well known. This is another case of Google shooting themselves in the foot again until they change the name again in another 6 -12 months 😂😂😂
  • They want to use one brand on multiple devices, not just Android.
  • Remember the article that stated that Apple and Google were becoming mirror images of each other ? Just another example. ..
  • Google seems that can't figure out names for its services. Google TV then Android TV, Google play music and I can't even remember the original name and now this.
  • Don't forget, Google chat, Google Hangouts, Google messenger, Google Allo, and Google duo. All ways to communicate, but all different apps.
  • So instead of a simple app that is just used to pay for products Google have added to it. I think I will keep with cash.
  • Just updated here in the UK and can add yours loyalty cards.
  • And how are you going to scan your loyal;ty card on your phone? If you buy from say Tescos or Sainsburys, the assistants can not touch your phone, just in case they drop it and even then there no guarantee that the checkout scanner will read it and if you go for self scan, the same thing with recognising the barcode on your phone. These scanners do not like scanning through glass as the light gets reflected in correctly. Anyway Tesco now have a contactless loyalty card, I would expect that would be quicker to use than mucking around finding the card to use on your phone. I do not use loyalty cards myself, apart from the one for my local coffee bar as that is just a bit of card that gets stamped on,
  • So Samsung Pay gives me rewards. Google gives nothing, right? Why use Google over Samsung then?
  • Do not own a Samsung phone.
  • Just get a Gear s3
  • I got an email about it.
  • Does not work on Samsung 8plus!!
  • Did you update to the Beta Oreo?
  • I realize I could make a shortcut, but an advantage to "Android Pay" was that it was always at the top of the app drawer, making it easier to find and use. "G Pay" will be further down, making it harder to access. It's a real First World problem, absolutely, but I've always appreciated it being right there.
  • You don't need to open Android Pay (Google Pay) to use it when doing Tap to Pay at point of sale systems.
  • You can hold the phone yourself over the till scanner, the tills laser is multi direction so it will be picked up. I've been using beep and go for years with my cards on it and it works a treat...
  • I do not think the cashier would be happy with people leaning over. i know someone who tried using a loyalty card stored on his phone on a self scan and he said most times it would fail and it was just a pain.
  • Apple Pay is MUCH easier and Much better. I use Samsung Pay as well and It's right up there with AP.
  • It's not Apple Pay and Samsung Pay both need you to trigger their app then use your biometric login before tapping to pay. Google Pay simply needs you to wake your phone and tap to pay. Now that's MUCH easier and MUCH better
  • And less secure, so when we are told that using our phone to pay is more secure than a contactless card, it is a load of rubbish. Lose your card, someone can pick it up and use it, lose your phone and someone can do the same thing if they realise there is a card stored on it. Granted the payment part is more secure because of the phone sending a token instead of the real card number. I think I will stay with cash
  • Last I checked you have to authenticate via fp or pin to use it so not true.
  • Not if you you're using SmartLock. Only extra step you need without that is to unlock the phone first instead of just waking it. Still less steps than Samsung and Apple Pay