Google has declared it will discontinue Google Pay in the US to enhance user experience by simplifying the app. All users will be transitioned to Google Wallet. The standalone Google Pay app in the US will be unusable from June 4, 2024.
Google Wallet will retain popular features like in-store tap-to-pay and payment method management. The usage of Google Wallet is five times higher than Google Pay in the US, according to a company blog post.
"Google Wallet continues to be the primary place for people to securely store payment cards used for tap and pay in stores, alongside other digital items like transit cards, driver's licenses, state IDs and more. To simplify the app experience, the US version of the standalone Google Pay app will no longer be available for use starting June 4, 2024," the company said in its blog post.
Google Pay's services in other countries, including India, will not be affected. The transition is expected to be smooth, and the usual use of Google Pay for online checkout and in-store payments will remain unchanged.
Indian and Singaporean users of the Google Pay app will see no changes as the company continues to cater to the specific needs of these countries. After June 4, 2024, US users can view and transfer funds to their bank accounts via the Google Pay website.
"As of June 4, 2022, you will no longer be able to send, request or receive money from others through the US version of the Google Pay app," the blog post noted.
The most recent version of the Google Wallet app for Android can be downloaded from Google Play. Card management can also be done on the Google Pay website.
Google Wallet lets users make payments in stores, board a plane, ride transit, store loyalty cards, save driver's licenses and starting a car via a digital key. According to Google, people in more than 180 countries use Google Pay to make payments for shopping on desktop, mobile and in-store.
