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.”
“With Rs 8.26 lakh crore worth of transactions in just a month of December 2021, UPI has taken off in a big way in India. Today, we are pleased to partner Google Pay and enable ‘tap to pay’ for UPI transactions on Pine Labs Android POS terminals. We believe this will further strengthen UPI acceptance in India and appeal to consumers, especially the youth population who have taken a liking for contactless and digital payment,” said Kush Mehra, Chief Business Officer, Pine Labs.