For other uses, see Google Pay.
Not to be confused with Google Wallet.

Google Pay
DeveloperGoogle
Release
  • May 26, 2011; 15 years ago (2011-05-26) (as Google Wallet)
  • September 11, 2015; 11 years ago (2015-09-11) (as Android Pay)
  • January 8, 2018; 8 years ago (2018-01-08) (as Google Pay)
Operating system
Platform
LicenseProprietary
Websitepay.google.com/about/

Google Pay (formerly Android Pay) is a mobile payment service developed by Google to power in-app, online, and in-person contactless purchases on mobile devices, enabling users to make payments with Android phones or Wear OS watches, in addition to only online & in-app purchases on Android tablets and Android/ChromeOS laptops. Users can authenticate via a PIN, passcode, or biometrics such as 3D face scanning or fingerprint recognition.[1]

As of 2026, it is available in 108 countries.[2]

Service

Google Pay acceptance mark


Google Pay uses near-field communication (NFC) to transmit card information facilitating funds transfer to the retailer. It replaces the credit or debit card chip and PIN or magnetic stripe transaction at point-of-sale terminals by allowing the user to upload these in Google Wallet. It is similar to contactless payments already used in many countries, with the addition of two-factor authentication. The service lets Android devices wirelessly communicate with point of sale systems using a near-field communication (NFC) antenna and host-based card emulation (HCE).

When the user makes a payment to a merchant, Google Pay does not send the actual payment card number. Instead, it generates a virtual account number representing the user's account information.[3]

Google Pay requires that a screen lock be set on the phone or watch.[4] An age limit minimum of 13 years is imposed on users seeking to manage the service themselves. However, younger users can still have access to Google Pay if a parent or guardian manages Wallet for them, and utilizes an approved bank.[5]

Users can add payment cards to the service by taking a photo of the card, or by entering the card information manually. To pay at points of sale, users hold their authenticated device to the point of sale system. The service has smart-authentication, allowing the system to detect when the device is considered secure (for instance, if unlocked in the last five minutes) and challenge if necessary for unlock information.[6]

Technology

Google Pay uses the EMV Payment Tokenization Specification.[7]

The service keeps customer payment information private from the retailer by replacing the customer's credit or debit card Funding Primary Account Number (FPAN) with a tokenized Device Primary Account Number (DPAN) and creates a "dynamic security code [...] generated for each transaction". The "dynamic security code" is the cryptogram in an EMV-mode transaction, and the Dynamic Card Verification Value (dCVV) in a magnetic-stripe-data emulation-mode transaction. Users can also remotely halt the service on a lost phone via Google's Find Hub service.

To pay at points of sale with a default payment card, users hold their authenticated Android or Wear OS device (Pixel Watch 2 or later) to the point-of-sale system's NFC reader. Opening the Google Wallet app beforehand is not necessary on these platforms, though Fitbit OS users must authenticate by opening the Google Wallet app prior to payment.[8]

Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM)

In EMV-mode transactions, Google Pay supports the use of the Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM) using biometrics, pattern, or the device's passcode. The use of CDCVM allows the device itself to provide verification for the transaction and may not require the cardholder to sign a receipt or enter their PIN.[9][10]

Security

Payments for supported transit networks are able to skip verification, either via a payment card or transit card. Unlike Apple Pay's Express Mode, this is not available when the battery is low.

On Fitbit OS, this option is not available. All transactions on Fitbit devices must be authenticated by opening the Wallet app prior to tapping.[11]

Since 2022, the functionality of adding cards to Google Pay requires devices to pass Play Integrity API checks. This implies having a device with locked bootloader and no rooting.[12]

Availability

Supported countries[13]

Global availability of Google Pay
  Available
  Suspended
Date

(in chronological order)

Support for payment cards issued in
September 11, 2015 United States United States (includes Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands, except American Samoa, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands)
May 18, 2016 United Kingdom (includes Isle of Man and Jersey, except British Overseas Territories)
June 28, 2016 Singapore
July 14, 2016 Australia
October 20, 2016 Hong Kong
November 17, 2016 Poland
December 1, 2016 New Zealand
December 7, 2016 Ireland
December 13, 2016 Japan
March 7, 2017 Belgium
May 23, 2017  Russia[a]
May 31, 2017 Canada
June 1, 2017 Taiwan
July 26, 2017 Spain
September 18, 2017 India
November 1, 2017 Ukraine (except Crimea and parts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts under Russian occupation)
November 14, 2017 Brazil
Czech Republic
February 28, 2018 Slovakia
June 26, 2018 Germany
August 1, 2018 Croatia
September 19, 2018 Italy
San Marino
Vatican City
October 30, 2018 Denmark
Finland
Greenland
Norway
Sweden
November 14, 2018 United Arab Emirates
November 28, 2018 Chile
December 11, 2018 France (includes Guadeloupe, French Guiana, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Martinique, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin and Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
Monaco
April 30, 2019  Switzerland
October 29, 2019 Faroe Islands
November 17, 2020 Austria
Bulgaria
Estonia
Greece
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Netherlands
Portugal
Romania
December 7, 2021 Israel
Kazakhstan
August 23, 2022 Azerbaijan
Iceland
Moldova (except Transnistria)
Qatar
Serbia
South Africa
November 15, 2022 Armenia
Cyprus (except Northern Cyprus)
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Georgia (except Abkhazia and South Ossetia)
Kyrgyzstan
Kuwait
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Slovenia
Thailand
Vietnam
June 6, 2023 Argentina
August 8, 2023 Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Montenegro
North Macedonia
November 1, 2023 Colombia
Peru
February 27, 2024 Dominican Republic
September 27, 2024 Bermuda
Cambodia
El Salvador
Guernsey
Kosovo
Morocco
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Tajikistan
November 6, 2024 Andorra
Bahrain
Guatemala
Honduras
Macao
Uruguay
March 11, 2025 Jordan
Pakistan
June 24, 2025 Bangladesh
Lebanon
July 10, 2025 Oman
September 15, 2025 Saudi Arabia
November 18, 2025 Mongolia
Philippines
November 19, 2025 Sri Lanka
December 9, 2025 New Caledonia
December 17, 2025 Botswana
March 19, 2026 French Polynesia
June 9, 2026 Bahamas
Barbados
Cayman Islands
Jamaica
Trinidad and Tobago
June 10, 2026 Mauritius

Supported networks

Upcoming

See also

References

  1. ^ As of March 2022, Google Pay for Mastercard and Visa has been suspended in Russia until further notice because of international sanctions for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and due to financial uncertainty in Russia. Since March 24, 2022, Mir cards have later been disabled from Google Pay.
  1. ^ "Set up screen lock to make contactless payments - Android". Google Inc. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Where you can use Google Wallet". Google Wallet Help. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  3. ^ "Google introduces Android Pay, a replacement for its wallet app on mobile". The Verge. May 28, 2015. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  4. ^ "Set up Google Pay". Archived from the original on June 4, 2018.
  5. ^ "Set up tap to pay on your child's Fitbit Ace LTE". Google Wallet Help. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  6. ^ "Fingerprint and payments APIs (100 Days of Google Dev)". Google Developers. 2015. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "Payment Tokenisation". EMVco. March 1, 2014. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  8. ^ "Pay with your smartwatch". Google Pay Help. Google Inc. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  9. ^ "Set up screen lock to make contactless payments – Android – Google Pay Help". Google Inc. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  10. ^ "CDCVM – Google Pay Merchant Help". Google Inc. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  11. ^ "Verify it's you to make a purchase - Google Wallet Help". support.google.com. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  12. ^ "Some people aren't able to tap and pay with Google Wallet right now". androidpolice.com. April 16, 2024.
  13. ^ "Countries or regions where you can use Google Wallet – Google Wallet Help". Google Support. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  14. ^ "Google Pay ｜クレジットカードなら、JCBカード". クレジットカードのお申し込みなら、JCBカード. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  15. ^ "GooglePay | Elo". www.elo.com.br. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  16. ^ "eftpos & Google Pay™ FAQ | eftpos Australia". www.eftposaustralia.com.au. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "Interac Debit on Android Pay launches in Canada". Interac. May 31, 2017. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  18. ^ "Bancomat entra su Google Pay con Intesa Sanpaolo - LaPresse". www.lapresse.it (in Italian). April 18, 2025. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  19. ^ "Google Pay con BANCOMAT". bancomat.it (in Italian). Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  20. ^ a b 順（管理人）, 作成者 石井 (July 22, 2023). "キタ？！Google Pixel Watch「iD/QUICPay」決済解禁". Jetstream BLOG (in Japanese). Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  21. ^ "Use Pix with Google Pay". Google Pay Help. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  22. ^ "Google Pay Launches in Saudi Arabia, Enabling Simple and Secure Payments for Users". Google. September 15, 2025. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  23. ^ "Lançamento: Alelo no Google Pay". www.alelo.com.br. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  24. ^ "Jaywan: The UAE's first national card scheme supporting secure, efficient digital payments". Al Etihad Payments. February 27, 2025. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  25. ^ "Le paiement mobile, le nouveau geste de paiement CB" [Mobile payments: the new way to pay by card] (PDF). www.cartes-bancaires.com (in French). p. 19. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  26. ^ "Overview | Device Tokenization Developer Site". Google for Developers. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
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