Google Pay introduces a NFC-based tap & pay feature in India

Google enabled tokenisation across its payment platform Google Pay today. Now, Android users will be able to make transactions on near-field communication (NFC) -enabled POS terminals and online merchants via their phones. By using the method of tokenization, users will not have to physically use their debit or credit cards.

Google has partnered with Visa and other banking partners to bring this feature out. Currently, this is available for Axis and SBI Card holders. The company has mentioned that soon support will be extended to Kotak and other banks very soon.

The payments are managed via a “secure digital token” that is attached to the smartphones so that no user has to share the card details with any vendor. In order to use the NFC feature, you must make sure that your device is capable of supporting NFC transactions.

Other than this, scan and pay will be available at over 1.5 million Bharat QR enabled merchants across the country. Now users will be able to pay bills and make recharges using their Google Pay app.

Sajith Sivanandan, Business Head of Google Pay India said, “We’re committed to offer the most secure payments experience to our growing base of users, and tokenization helps to replace sensitive data such as credit and debit card numbers with tokens, eliminating any chances of fraud”.

“It is the culmination of months of collaboration between Google and Visa that has helped us roll out this global first initiative for Google Pay in India. Made in India for millions of mobile first consumers, there couldn’t have been a better time to introduce this tokenized and contactless form of payment with the added convenience of using one’s credit or debit card,” said TR Ramachandran, Group Country Manager, of Visa, India & South Asia.

In order to use the tap and pay feature, one needs to open Google Pay on their phones and enter their card details and follow it by entering the OTP. This one-time process will register the card to the app. After this, direct payments could be made at terminals.