tap to pay: Google Pay gets Tap to Pay feature: What it means and other details

Google’s payment platform Google Pay has announced the launch of ‘Tap to Pay‘ feature for UPI-based transcations. The new functionality brings the convenience of ‘Tap to Pay’ feature offered by debit and credit cards to UPI. So far, the ‘Tap to Pay’ feature has been available only for cards. Google Pay has launched the functionality in collaboration with Pine Labs.
This means that to complete a payment, all a user will need to do is tap their phone on the POS terminal and authenticate the payment from their phone, using their UPI PIN, making the process instantaneous, as compared to scanning a QR code or entering the UPI-linked mobile number.
The functionality will be available to any UPI user who wants to use their NFC-enabled Android smartphone to transact using any Pine Labs Android POS terminal across the country. Google piloted the feature with Reliance Retail and will now be available at other large merchants such as Future Retail and Starbucks.
Commenting on the development, Sajith Sivanandan, Business Head, Google Pay and Next Billion User initiatives, Google APAC said, “Fintech growth in India is writing the playbook for the world, first with enabling real-time payments with UPI, and further, by innovating with flows that make the transaction time virtually zero. Tap to Pay for UPI has profound implications for high traffic retail outlets, with queue management hassles poised to be greatly reduced, and taking digital payments at POS well beyond cards. We are very excited to bring this first-ever innovation to India, in collaboration with Pine Labs.”
Nalin Bansal, Chief of Corporate and Fintech Relationships and Key Initiatives, NPCI said, “We are delighted to witness the popular Tap and Pay technology being pioneered for UPI. 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. Interoperability has always been a winning proposition for UPI, and this will be a step ahead in transforming the way real-time digital transactions are conducted especially in retail merchants.”