While smartphones have become more popular than desktop for browsing the web, using a handset to buy goods can still be a pain. But Google is making the whole process quicker and easier through the launch of its online payment portal, Pay with Google.
The system works through association with linked Google accounts that contain users' credit/debit card info, such as YouTube, Android Pay, Chrome, and Google Pay. When purchasing from an app or website that offers Pay with Google, you simply click on the payment option and authenticate it with either a security code or your Android device. Google sends the merchant your payment and address details, so there's no filling out forms on your part.
At launch, Pay with Google can be used in Android apps and the Chrome browser. It'll work with 15 different services (shown below) across the US, UK, and Brazil, including Airbnb, Deliveroo, Instancart, Kayak, Fancy, HotelTonight, StubHub, JustEat, and Papa John's, with more coming soon.
As an incentive to get more merchants to join, Google isn't charging a transaction fee on purchases, and it takes "only a few lines of code" to add its payment option. 14 international payment providers have already signed up, and Google says more are being added all the time. Developers can find out more about the Google Payment API here.
The future of the system will likely see loyalty schemes being introduced by various retailers, as well as the ability to send money to friends through voice commands via Google Assistant.