Google is one of the leading providers of mobile payments. If you want to pay with your smartphone, you can set up the Google Pay service relatively easily. We show you how it works.
Mobile payment is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany. In a global survey from spring 2023, 27 percent of respondents said they use Google Pay in retail. Online, the percentage was 14 percent.
But although the numbers are rising, Germany is far behind the global leaders. In India, for example, Google Pay now plays a central role in payment methods.
Here, 82 percent of respondents used Google’s mobile payment system in shops or restaurants. And at 77 percent, it is also used significantly more online here than in Germany.
How does Google Pay work?
If you want to use Google Pay, you have to store a credit or debit card on your smartphone. This is then stored in your Google Wallet app.
When shopping, you can then pay with your smartphone wherever you see the symbol for contactless payment or Google Pay.
First you have to unlock your smartphone. However, you do not need to open the Google Wallet app. If you are prompted to do so, hold your smartphone for a moment with its back to the card reader. If the transaction was successful, a blue tick appears on the display.
How to set up Google Pay
First download the Google Wallet app if it is not already installed on your smartphone. As Google has recently changed the name of this app, you may also find it as the Google Pay app on your smartphone.
The next time you open it, the name will change. You may also need to update the app in the Play Store.
When you use Google Wallet for the first time, you first need to register a credit or debit card. You will be prompted to do this the first time you open the app.
You can then either photograph or scan your card using the camera. But you can also enter your data manually.
Before using the app for the first time, you should also check in your settings whether NFC is activated and Google Pay is set as the default app for your payments.
You must meet these requirements
A number of requirements must be met before you can use Google Pay. For example, you need an active Google account and a smartphone that supports NFC.
To download the app, your Android device needs at least the Lollipop 5.0 version, but Nougat 7.0 is required for contactless payment.
