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Digital wallet users were taken by surprise by Google’s announcement today that it is shutting down the Google Pay app and shifting its focus on mobile payments in the United States to Google Wallet. The move brings the US in line with most other global markets that already use Wallet as their primary payment service.
According to Google’s latest blog post, users will no longer be able to access Google Pay or use the popular peer-to-peer payment feature after June 4, 2024. While the app will no longer function after June, some access to the service will remain. Users will still be able to view and transfer funds to their bank account for example. They will be able to this from the GPay website even after the shutdown date.
Instead of GPay, the company aims to provide a more streamlined experience within Google Wallet. Currently, the primary app for tap-and-pay using credit and debit cards, Wallet will take on additional roles previously held by its predecessor. This includes housing loyalty programs, tickets, passes, and other documents alongside payment cards. The app will also become the new home for any special deals or offers that were previously accessible through Google Pay searches.
Google simplifies mobile payments with Google Pay being sunset in the US
The move comes as Google Wallet usage in the United States has surged ahead of Google Pay by five to one. Rather than confuse consumers with parallel apps, it makes sense to unify the functionality into a single payment solution. International markets have already made the switch, with only India, Singapore, and the U.S. so far maintaining separate Google Pay apps.
“Google Wallet continues to be the primary place for people to securely store payment cards used for tap and pay in stores, alongside other digital items like transit cards, driver’s licenses, state IDs, and more,” Google wrote in the blog. “You can continue to access the most popular features — tapping to pay in stores and managing payment methods — right from Google Wallet, which is used five times more than the Google Pay app in the U.S.”
As mobile transactions continue to grow in importance, Google is streamlining the experience for U.S. users. By consolidating features into an updated Google Wallet app, the company aims to create a one-stop shop for all payment and digital document needs. While some features, such as peer-to-peer transfers, are disappearing from the app, the company has not yet shared plans to implement similar functionality elsewhere. Nevertheless, a single-app approach ends the branding confusion between Wallet and Pay services.