Are Google Pay and Google Wallet the same?: Have you ever heard about Google Wallet and Google Pay? Your answer for Google Pay may be yes, but what about Google Wallet? Is there any difference between both of them, or are they both the same?
In this article, we will explain the differences between Google Pay and Google Wallet. I know this information will not have any impact on your routine life, but it will enhance your knowledge of payment applications.
So if you are interested in knowing the history of technology, then you must read this article.
Google Wallet’s Origins
Google Wallet was introduced in 2011. It was the primary mobile payment service for Android users to make payments at that time.
The initial version of Google Wallet was very restrictive and required users to sign up with a city MasterCard account or get a Google prepaid card to make payments. To make its payment services more user-friendly, Google Wallet has been replaced with Android Pay.
| Read Also | How to Add Credit Card in Google Pay |
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Android Pay’s Introduction
So after Google Wallet, Android Pay was introduced in 2015. Android Pay allows Android users to make contactless payments through their phones.
Now, users are not required to sign up with City MasterCard. Users can easily make their payments through PayPal. After this innovation by Google, the iPhone 6 also launched contactless payment on their devices back in 2014.
Google Wallet Becomes Peer-to-Peer Payment Service
Although Google Wallet was replaced by Android Pay for contactless payments, it continued to exist as a peer-to-peer payments service like Venmo and the Cash app.
Users can send money to their friends and family by entering a linked email address or phone number. It is quite similar to the Unified Payment Interface developed by the NPCI of India.
Google Wallet and Android Pay Merge
To explore more possibilities in payment services, Google merged Google Wallet and Android Pay. The combination of both of these services created a new application that you already know by the name of Google Pay.
Google Pay has the features of both applications. It provides contractless payments in stores and online peer-to-peer payments.
We can assume the popularity of Google Pay from various examples, like how it eventually became the primary wallet for Android users. They store their flight passes, event tickets, gym memberships, gift cards, and more on Google Pay.
Also, Google Pay replaces the Chrome auto-fill feature by allowing Android users to use Google Pay for online purchases.
Exits and Returns
Further in 2018, Google released Google Pay Send, a new mobile payment application that enabled sending and receiving payments online.
But this application was eventually discontinued in 2020 because the feature was ported over to Google Pay. In the same vein, Google Pay launched its application under the brand name “Google Tez” in India.
Google Tez offered new features like in-app messaging, personalized offers, transaction history, online bill payment, fetching online bills for credit cards, electricity, etc.
The old version of Google Pay was just continued in the United States in April 2021. In the latest news, Google Wallet returned to Android, where it replaced Google Pay via an update in 39 countries, including the United States of America.
Google Wallet is not available in India. Here is the list of countries where Google Wallet is available.
Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kuwait
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom and
outlying territories
United States and
outlying territories
Vietnam
Differences Between Google Pay and Google Wallet
| Google Pay | Google Wallet |
|---|---|
| Google Pay is an app that lets you manage your money and your finances. It lets you: Get insights about your spending and spending habits. Send money to friends and family or split bills. Earn rewards on eligible transactions. Find offers from your favorite merchants. Have quick access to your Google Wallet. | Google Wallet is a secure and private digital wallet that lets you store items like: Payment cards Flight and event tickets Transit passes and Vaccination cards Loyalty and gift cards Digital car keys and Campus IDs |
| It is a unified platform to enable both in-store contactless payments and peer-to-peer payments via one app | It provides peer-to-peer payments service |
| Google Pay is more popular in India | Google Wallet is progressively overtaking Google Pay. In the US and Singapore |
FAQs
Do I need to download the Google Wallet app?
No if you have Google Pay app then you can access your Google Wallet count through Google Pay app.
Should I delete Google Pay if I have Google Wallet?
No you do not have to delete Google pay if you have installed Google Pay app.
Do I need both Google Pay and wallet?
If you have the Google Pay app then you can access your Google Wallet account through the app but if you don’t want to use Google pay you can simply install Google Wallet app in your phone to use your wallet
