In the not-too-dim-and-distant past, there were not many choices when it came to making payments online or on mobile. You could either use your bank card and be taken through an obscure ‘secure’ payment verification process or sign up for PayPal, which was not accepted in the places you wanted to use it. In-store purchases were not better, and the choices were limited to plastic cards or cash.
Fast forward a few years, and the whole payment landscape is unrecognizable. There are so many payment options, from e-wallets to pre-pay vouchers, Buy Now Pay Later and interest-free credit choices. One could almost say it has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous, so it is good to know there is one brand out there that has you covered whatever it you want to pay for.
Fast and Secure
Google Pay is a fast, secure and easy way to pay in apps, on sites and in stores using the payment cards you have saved to your Google Account. Online, anyone with a Google account can set up Google Pay. To use it in stores, you need to have an Android phone.
Let’s you cash in on loyalty
Google Pay does not override any special relationships you have with your card provider. For example, if you are a member of a card reward scheme or loyalty program, you will still get the same benefits when using your card through Google Pay as you would in using your plastic card the old-fashioned way.
A convenient wallet
Google Pay is, essentially, a wallet in which you can store your payment cards within. It has an additional layer of security, and you can also store loyalty cards, gift cards, and travel and entertainment tickets within it.
Everything in one place
If you are going out and about, having Google Pay installed on your phone means you no longer need to bring your wallet along if you do not want to. You can head off for a night or day out with your phone in your pocket and little else. All your payment methods are on hand whenever you need them. It is worthwhile making sure your phone is fully charged before you leave home, and wise to take a charger or battery pack with you if you are going out for a long time.
Does not have low transaction limits
Rather than having to dig around in your bag to pay for a coffee or drinks with friends, you can simply use your phone to make the payment. Depending on your device’s security, your face or fingerprint will suffice to verify the payment—no need to input a PIN. Unlike the plastic variant, there is no upper limit on the transaction, so you can use it wherever you need to pay.
Great for online purchases
Google Pay is also great for making online purchases. All the details are stored in your phone, so you do not need to remember too many details – although you might need your CVV to prove it is you if shopping on your browser rather than in the app on your phone.
Perfect for digital content
We increasingly make purchases for digital items like music, boxsets, games and for playing at online casinos. Using digital payment methods for digital transactions makes absolute sense – it seems like a match made in heaven. To play at online and mobile casinos, you need to make a deposit into a digital casino account. At a brick-and-mortar casino, you would go to the cashier’s office and ‘buy’ casino chips (or currency) to place your bets. The same is true at an online casino, but you get casino credit rather than chips.
Your online casino buddy
You can choose to play at a Google Pay casino in the UK whether you want to play on the slots or prefer the interaction of live dealer games. While you could just link your card or bank account directly to a casino account, using Google Pay gives you an extra layer of security. Mobile casinos have incredibly high levels of protection already, but they are attractive targets for hackers to try and bust. Google Pay keeps your account safe, and the online casino cannot access any of your financial information. If the worst were to come to the worst, you know that Google Pay was working hard to keep you as safe as possible.
Layers of security
So, how does Google Pay keep you safe? Whether you are a business or a customer, you want to ensure your wallet’s contents are secure. Google Pay takes security very seriously by using tokenization. This means the customers’ debit and credit card details are never shared with the business. Instead, the company receives an assigned token number to the value of the transaction, which prevents data theft and fraudulent transactions. Each transaction is assigned a unique code and can easily be tracked and managed.
Why wouldn’t you?
Google Pay is so easy and convenient it begs the question, what would be the reason not to use it? We live in an increasingly cashless world and expect transactions to happen instantly. We want to know that what we do is safe and secure. Using GooglePay is a ‘no-brainer’ for anyone who wants to get the most out of their phone however they use it. Some things just make life simpler, and Google Pay is one such thing.
