Google Plans to Expand Google Pay Into Commerce Portal

Google is working on a major overhaul of its payment app, Google Pay, in hopes of jump-starting its use in the U.S. Google Pay plans this year to let online and brick-and-mortar merchants set up their own branded buttons inside the U.S. version of the app, potentially turning it into a one-stop portal for commerce, say two people familiar with Google’s plans.

Under Google’s plan, users will be able to click on a merchant’s branded button inside Google Pay so they can place orders and pay for services from that merchant without ever leaving the app. Google employees have been discussing how to convince key merchants such as gas stations, convenience stores, restaurant chains and delivery companies to sign up for the plan, the people familiar with the matter said. 

Google’s move comes as the pandemic has sparked greater interest in contactless payments, suggesting that longstanding resistance by Americans to embrace digital pay services from tech firms like Google and Apple could be diminishing.