Google is today making it easier for users to make payments within third-party apps and mobile website, as well as in Google Assistant, when they’re out and about. No longer will the company rely that the card users want to pay with be preloaded in Android Pay – they’ll be able to choose from any payment card they’ve previously used with their Google Account.
The company says it’s expanding this access to payment options through its Google Payment API – the tool that lets merchants and developers integrate payments in their own sites and applications.
The move makes sense as Android Pay is struggling for traction compared with rival Apple Pay. As one report noted in April, Apple Pay has 86 million users versus just 24 million for Android Pay.
However, Google itself has collected payment card data from its customers across a variety of services, including the Play Store, the Google Store, YouTube, or even stored in its Chrome web browser. By allowing users to pick one of these saved payment methods instead of Android Pay, it will be easier for users to make payments – they won’t have to pull out their payment card in public, for example, or take time to re-enter data that Google already has on file.
For developers, Google promises this change will deliver faster checkouts, more conversions, reduced cart abandonment, and increased sales.
More details are on the Payment API website here.
