Google is launching a new app that will take off. This time, the victim is the venerable Google Pay app, which American users won’t be allowed to access after June 4, 2024.
According to Google, the change is being made to streamline its payment alternatives. Google Wallet, which is reportedly five times more popular in the US than the Pay app, is what the company hopes to migrate users to.
“Google Wallet remains the go-to app for safely storing digital goods like transit cards, state IDs, driver’s licenses, and more, as well as payment cards used for tap and pay in retail establishments. Google product manager Joris van Mens said on The Keyword blog that the standalone Google Pay app will no longer be available in the United States as of June 4, 2024, in an effort to streamline the user experience.
Users of the Google Pay app in the United States will therefore have until June 4th to move their balance to a different bank account. Users will then need to transfer their money via the Google Pay page. On June 4th, in-app discounts will also be unavailable, along with peer-to-peer payments.
According to Google, the regular reward payment schedules still hold true if you’re anticipating cash-back from an in-app purchase and the June 4th deadline has already gone. It appears that Google is moving users from the Wallet app to Google Search when it comes to discounts.
What will happen to the Google Pay app after June 4th is unclear, although it appears that it will only function as a window to view your balance. It is advisable to move your balance to an alternative account prior to the deadline, just for peace of mind. See Google’s instructions on that here. App users in Singapore and India will continue to have full functionality.
After experimenting with a number of mobile payment solutions over the years, it appears that Google has decided to make Wallet the main and default Android payments app. It does not offer cashback on purchases or allow for the sending and receiving of money. In addition to holding credit cards, loyalty cards, transport passes, and some forms of official identification, the app is a straightforward tap-and-pay device. will have to wait and see if Google adds more features to Wallet in the future, but the payment model’s simplicity—which has been deliberately maintained for the past ten years—is probably here to stay.