Google Pay starts charging Rs 3 convenience fee on mobile recharges  (2024)

UPDATED: Nov 24, 2023 16:30 IST

Google Pay has introduced a new charge of Rs 3 for users who want to recharge their mobile phones using the app's UPI service. This fee applies when users purchase prepaid plans through Google Pay, marking a change from the app's previous policy of not charging extra for such transactions. This recent move aligns Google Pay with other payment platforms like Paytm and PhonePe, which already impose charges for similar transactions.

Despite this change, Google has not officially announced the addition of convenience fees on its payment app. Users discovered this update when a customer shared a screenshot online showing a Rs. 3 convenience fee included in a Rs. 749 prepaid recharge plan from Jio. The fee applies to both UPI and card transactions, according to reports.

Tipster Mukul Sharma provided further details on Twitter, mentioning that recharge plans costing less than Rs. 100 won't incur a convenience fee. However, plans between Rs. 100 to Rs. 200 and Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 will have charges of Rs. 2 and Rs. 3, respectively. Transactions exceeding Rs. 300 will face a Rs. 3 convenience fee.

Google recently updated its terms of service for Indian users, referring to the new convenience fees. However, it remains unclear if this addition was part of the November 10 update. The terms state that users will be informed about applicable fees before completing a transaction. The terms also mention that fees can be determined at the company's discretion.

Interestingly, despite the updated terms, when we recharged a number we did not encounter any additional charges when trying to buy Airtel and Jio recharge plans via Google Pay on Thursday. It seems that purchasing recharge plans directly from the operator's website may be the only way to avoid these convenience fees.

This change in Google Pay's policy follows a trend set by other payment service providers, such as Paytm and PhonePe, aiming to monetize their platforms by introducing fees for transactions. Similar charges have been implemented by various online services for tasks like ordering food or booking movie tickets.