Google Pay Augments Mobile Payments Support With 26 New Banks
Google Pay didn’t exactly get off on the best foot, showing up late to the party and trying to build on Android Pay’s limited successes. Worse, it’s trying to actively compete with device makers’ own mobile payments systems, like LG Pay and of course Samsung Pay. Google Pay is making a play, though, and recently added 26 new banks to its roster of supported operations.
The process has been somewhat gradual; the recent additions brought in 13 new banks, which means that so far in July, PayPal has added 26 banks to the lineup. There aren’t exactly any big names in this lineup, which includes such clearly regional favorites as the Park Community Credit Union, the First Bank of Alabama, and the starkly-regional The Local Credit Union. It’s still a win for those who wanted to use Google Pay but couldn’t, however.
Google Pay also recently added a feature for the merchant side of the exchange: PayPal integration. With a wide range of users—hundreds of millions at last report—connecting PayPal to various Google platforms, the impact of PayPal on Google Pay may well prove substantial.
Google took to its blog to note: “We’re thrilled to announce we’ve expanded our collaboration with PayPal to make payments easy and seamless no matter how or where your customers like to shop. Now, you’ll be able to accept PayPal with Google Pay on your app or website in all 24 countries where your customers can link their PayPal account to Google Pay.”
It’s hard not to see a win here; PayPal diversifies its business still further and makes its need for eBay’s business less with each new deal. Google, meanwhile, gets an easy way to monetize its various services, and with the Google Pay connection, helps bring PayPal to brick-and-mortar businesses. Given how many gig economy jobs pay through PayPal, such a move will likely prove welcome to those who hold such positions.
This is a situation that really doesn’t have a downside to it, and in the end, should give everybody a little extra room to work with. Google Pay needs a shot in the arm to let it compete in a field dominated by players who got there first, and this connection could be just what’s called for.