Google ups the ante on mobile payments

Google is once again expanding its digital payment options.



The company knows it can be difficult for shoppers to make online payments within third-party apps and mobile websites, as well as in Google Assistant, when they are on the run. A new service is easing this pain and giving users more options.



Using the Google Payment application program interface (API), customers can now pay for purchases with credit and debit cards saved to their Google Account, which stores all personal information from email addresses and account activity to payment preferences. This means users no longer have to rely only on payment cards stored in their Android Pay app.



The Google Payment API is not a new tool. In fact, many merchants and developers already use the service to integrate payments in their own sites and applications, according to TechCrunch.



As long as shoppers see the option to pay with Google on supported apps or sites, they can pay with any account stored in their Google Account. The API supports faster checkout, drives more conversions, increases sales and reduces abandoned carts, according to Google.



By giving users access to more saved payment methods, it will be easier for shoppers to make purchases. It will also eliminate the need to fumble to find payment cards during checkout, pull out their cards in public, or re-enter data that Google already has on file, the company explained.



The service also gives Google a chance to gain momentum against rival Apple Pay. This comes at a crucial time since Apple Pay had 86 million users versus Android Pay’s 24 million users as of April, according to “Contactless Payments: NFC Handsets, Wearables & Payment Cards 2017-2021,” a report from Juniper Research.