Google Pay announce the launch of Tap to Pay for UPI in India, partnership with Pine Labs. This feature will allow users to make UPI payments by tapping their phones directly on a supported Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminal at nearby shops.
This tap offer was initially pilot with Reliance Retail and will now be available at other large merchants including Future Retail and Starbucks.
Google Pay Tap to Pay for UPI will be available to UPI users who have NFC-enable Android smartphones.
For tap to pay transactions, the functionality requires a Pine Labs Android PoS terminal.
Using the Tap to Pay for UPI functionality, users can initiate transactions by tapping their phone on the PoS terminal and authenticate the payment from their phone using their UPI PIN.
Google Pay Tap to Pay reduces the time require in scanning a QR code or entering the UPI-link mobile number.
Make sure that NFC is enable on your device before start with the new experience.
The functionality is also limit to Android phones as Apple doesn’t allow NFC-based payments through services other than Apple Pay.
Sajith Sivanandan, Business Head of Google Pay and Next Billion User initiatives, Google APAC Said :
“Tap to Pay for UPI has profound implications for high traffic retail outlets, with queue management hassles posed to be greatly reduced, and taking digital payments at POS well beyond cards,”.
Google Pay already supports NFC-based tap-to-pay functionality in global markets including the US.
The new experience is different as it works with the government’s UPI.
Kush Mehra, Chief Business Officer at Pine Labs, Said :
“We believe this will further strengthen UPI acceptance in India and appeal to consumers, especially the youth population who have taken a liking for contactless and digital payments,”.
This move by Google Pay could bring it to the mainstream and more popular among Indian consumers.
NPCI Chief of Corporate and Fintech Relationships and Key Initiatives Nalin Bansal Said :
This move to enable Tap to Pay for UPI functionality would be a step ahead to transform the way real-time digital transactions were conducted especially in retail merchants.
“With the growing adoption of UPI, this first-of-its-kind functionality with Google Pay and Pine Labs will augment the customer experience and pave the way for a smarter and faster payment experience,”.
Google introduce the tap-to-pay functionality for the users of Visa cards in 2020.
It was initially available for Axis Bank and SBI credit cards, though later expanded to other bank cards.
