Google Pay brings Android Pay and Google Wallet together

Less than three years after introducing Android Pay, Google today is officially combining that service with Google Wallet to create Google Pay — its single name for online, in-store, in-app, and peer-to-peer payments. Google plans to roll Google Pay out “over the coming weeks” across apps, online retailers, and in-store payment processing terminals.

The move enables Google to unite separate services under a brand that doesn’t carry device-specific baggage. Both Apple Pay and Samsung Pay have established themselves as product-independent but company-specific payment solutions that enable one account to make payments across multiple devices.

Until now, Android Pay was for users making online, in-app, and retail purchases using their Android device, while Google Wallet was for friends and family with a U.S. debit card sending money via their Android and iOS device. Other Google products and services also had their own payment options and features. This was all powered by Google Payments, the company’s backend payments platform that supports all of its payments-related products.

As you might expect, Google Pay will store your payment information in your Google account. That means you’ll be able to use it to send money to friends, to pay for items online, for shopping using NFC in-store, as well as in Chrome, YouTube, Google Play, and other Google products.

Google suggests that overlap between its services spurred Google Pay into existence. “If you’ve ever paid for groceries with Android Pay, used Chrome to automatically fill in your payment info, or purchased an app on Google Play,” Google notes, “then you’ve already experienced some of the ways Google helps you pay for things online and in stores.” Now, Google Pay will make it “easier for you to use the payment information saved to your Google Account, so you can speed through checkout with peace of mind.”

Users can try Google Pay now using Airbnb, B&H Photo-Video, Dice, Fandango, HungryHouse, and Instacart. Developers are urged to see Google’s Payment Solutions site for updated information.