Setting up Google Pay: This is how the wallet app works

Google is one of the leading mobile payment providers. Because if you want to pay with your smartphone, you can set up the Google Pay payment service relatively easily. We’ll show you how it works.

Mobile payment is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany. At 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 those surveyed used Google’s mobile payment system in shops or restaurants. And online it is also used much more here at 77 percent than in Germany.

How does Google Pay work?

If you want to use Google Pay, you have to save a credit or debit card on your smartphone. This is then stored in your Google Wallet app.

When shopping, you can then use your smartphone to pay anywhere you see the contactless payment symbol or the Google Pay symbol.

First you have to unlock your smartphone. However, you do not have to open the Google Wallet app. If you are prompted to do so, hold the back of your smartphone against the card reader for a moment. If the transaction was successful, a blue tick will appear on the display.

Here’s how to set up Google Pay

First download the Google Wallet app if it is not already installed on your smartphone. Since Google recently changed the name of this application, you may also find the app 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.

If this is your first time using the Google Wallet, you must first deposit a credit or debit card here. When you open the app for the first time, you will be prompted to do so.

You can then either photograph or scan your card using the camera. But you can also enter your data manually.

Before you use it for the first time, you should also check your settings to ensure that NFC is activated and that Google Pay is set as the default app for your payments.

You must meet these requirements

In order to use Google Pay, certain requirements must be met. For example, you need an active Google account and a smartphone that supports NFC.

To be able to download the app, your Android device needs at least version Lollipop 5.0. However, contactless payment requires Nougat 7.0.

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