Google Wallet And Android Pay Are Fusing Into One Service Called Google Pay

Fragmentation has always been a stumbling block for Google. Whether it’s their mobile operating systems, messaging services, or payment options, there’s always several services competing for your attention. Google’s ecosystem has been redundantly robust for far too long. Today, Google announced their plans to consolidate two competing services in Google Wallet, and Android Pay. The two mobile payment options will be fusing into one service which Google is dubbing “Google Pay” and will launch relatively soon. 

Since the inception of Android Pay, Google Wallet almost immediately took a back seat in the mobile payment space. Android devices started to push Google Wallet further and further into the background while Android Pay took the spotlight. Now, both services are joining together and will produce a super system that Google is banking pretty heavily on. Google is already working with retail partners to incentivize customers to use the service for payment. B&H, Fandango, Airbnb, and Dice are just a few retailers that will soon be offering spiffs for customers who use Google pay to purchase goods and services. 

Google Pay will seamlessly integrate with services and websites that you’re already using so there’s no need to worry about migrating card numbers or using new apps. In the coming weeks, expect to see even more functionality rolled out across Google services like Google Play Store, Books, and Movies. Aesthetically, this move makes perfect sense as Google moves more towards a singular hardware and software experience on future devices. I would have to suspect that this is also in response to how users have been enjoying the integration between Amazon’s Echo Speakers and the Amazon Market Place. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Google starts allowing users to order and pay for things through their Google Home speakers. Look for Google Pay to hit retail stores, apps, and websites very soon.