Discover the latest Google Pay and Google Wallet features

Google Pay and Google Wallet: What's New (Google I/O 2024)

Key Concepts:

• Google Pay API, Google Wallet developer platform, Seamless checkout experience, Android WebViews, Payment Metadata API, Merchant-initiated transactions (MIT), Fraud detection models, Chargeback data reporting, Test card suite, Error handling improvements, Digital IDs, Digital Credentials API, Zero-knowledge proof (ZKP), Wallet Passes, Family Link, Field Update Notifications, Nearby Passes notifications, Value Added Opportunities, Auto Linked Passes, Google Transit Insights, Live Status Support, Secure private images on passes, Developer Advisory Council.

Google Pay Updates

1. Seamless Checkout Experience:

• Redesigned Pay Sheet: The Google Pay UX has been redesigned to improve conversion rates. It now displays rich card art and names for easy card identification.
• Dark Mode Support: The UX is optimized for dark mode.
• Google Pay on Android WebViews: Google Pay is now supported on Android WebViews (Chrome Version 136+). Users can make purchases using Google Pay through an Android-native experience and use device tokens from their Google Wallet. Requires enabling Payment_Request in the app manifest.
• Pay Button for Android Enhancements: The Pay button has been revamped with more customization options, including border visibility control and support for more button copies.
• Payment Metadata API (Coming Soon): This API will allow developers to present card-identifying information even when their UX doesn't support a button, similar to the dynamic button functionality.

2. New Use Cases:

• Merchant-Initiated Transactions (MIT): Google Pay Online API will support MIT for subscriptions, automatic reloads, and deferred charges.
  • Enhanced pay sheet details for increased trust.
  • Payment tokens not bound to a specific device for payment continuity.
  • Lifecycle notifications for payment token credential changes, allowing proactive updates before billing cycles.
• Card Acceptance Control: Enhanced API to allow accepting or blocking cards based on the card issuer country.
• Funds Disbursement API: Enhanced API to allow disbursing funds directly to users' cards.

3. Security and Fraud Prevention:

• Improved Fraud Detection Models: Latest models have significantly reduced payment fraud.
• Chargeback Data Reporting: Merchants can report chargeback data to Google Pay via file upload through the business console. This data is used to further tune the fraud detection models.
• ID and [INAUDIBLE] Challenge: Google can present ID and [INAUDIBLE] challenges to users when suspicious activity is detected, without requiring code changes from the developer.
• Expanded Response Parameters (Coming Soon): Greater control over risk management.
• Important Note: Google Pay's validation and fraud checks are supplementary and should not replace existing risk management procedures.

4. Developer Experience:

• Test Card Suite Updates: Test cards for various PSPs are now directly visible in the payment sheet when using the API in the test environment. Includes regular, tokenized, and debit cards.
• Error Handling Improvements: Improved APIs provide timely and detailed information about build and runtime errors for Google Pay integrations on Android. Fine-grained error logs and detailed exceptions/error codes.
• Web Developer Resources:
  • Codelabs: Step-by-step walkthroughs of working implementations.
  • IDX Templates: One-click development environments with ready-to-run implementations.
  • Learning Pathway: Guided tour of the API from concept to implementation.
• Resources for Native Android, Flutter, React.js, React Native, and Angular (Coming This Year).
• Google Pay API Status Dashboard: Self-serve dashboard providing real-time information on the health of Google Pay APIs (CreateButton, IsReadyToPay API, LoadPaymentData API). Accessible via website, RSS feed, and JSON history file. Uptime of 99.99% last year.

Google Wallet Updates

1. Global Expansion:

• Google Wallet is now available in over 90 countries and territories, with more coming soon.

2. Digital IDs:

• Availability: Live in six US states, with more states coming soon.
• ID Pass: Digital ID created from US or British passports and stored in Google Wallet. British users can use ID Pass for railcard eligibility verification on railcard.co.uk.
• Digital Credentials API: Unified and secure framework for apps and websites to request verifiable proof of age or identity from any digital wallet. Interoperable with multi-wallet support across devices and operating systems.
  • Prioritizes user privacy through encrypted credentials, standardized data formats, and selective disclosure.
  • Use cases include agent identity verification.
• Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) Technology: Google has developed ZKP technology for age verification without linking back to personal identity. ZKP libraries will be open-sourced.
• Availability: Available to Android apps through the Credential Manager Jetpack Library, on Chrome on mobile web, and on desktop via Origin Trials. Cross-device support coming soon.

3. Wallet Passes:

• Google Wallet Support for Kids: Parents can give kids the ability to tap and pay in stores and store passes (event tickets, library cards, gift cards) on their Android devices. Parents have controls via Family Link (transaction notifications, purchase tracking, card removal, pass access control). No API changes required.
• Field Update Notifications: Trigger push notifications when a specific field within a pass changes (e.g., point balance threshold, tier status upgrade).
• Nearby Passes Notifications: If enabled by the user, the Google Wallet app sends contextual notifications when the user is near a specific location, providing direct access to relevant passes (loyalty cards, offers, boarding passes, event tickets).
  • Two new toggles for user control: Pass Detail Screen (on/off notifications for a specific pass) and Nearby Passes Notifications Channel (control whether to receive nearby passes notifications).
• Value Added Opportunities: Integrate personalized modules directly into passes to showcase deals, promotions, and additional services, guiding users back to the app or website.
• Pass Upgrade Experience: Prompts users to sign into their merchant account and save a linked version of manually added loyalty cards. Requires integration with the Wallet API's user Loyalty Program Enrollment feature. Expanding to support linking passes added via the "Everything Else" feature.
• Auto Linked Passes Expansion: Airlines that integrate loyalty cards can automatically push boarding passes to users' wallets upon check-in.
• Google Transit Insights Expansion: Support for specific pass types (e.g., season passes) directly linked to the user's tokenized open-loop payment card. Seamless pass purchasing and management via the Google Transit API.
• Live Status Support: Real-time transit pass updates (e.g., on-time/delayed train status) directly on passes, powered by the Google Wallet API and integration with Google Maps. Requires tickets to contain required fields and a real-time GTFS feed.
• Secure Private Images on Passes: Create passes with profile photos only accessible to the pass holder (e.g., digital business cards, membership passes, event tickets). Cannot be used for official identity verification.

4. Developer Advisory Council:

• Members can provide feedback on API design, engage with the Google Pay and Google Wallet teams, and participate in exclusive events.

Synthesis/Conclusion:

Google Pay and Google Wallet are evolving to provide more seamless, secure, and engaging experiences for both users and developers. Key updates include redesigned UX, expanded API capabilities (MIT, funds disbursement, digital IDs), enhanced security features, improved developer tools, and new features for Wallet Passes (field update notifications, nearby passes notifications, value-added opportunities). These advancements aim to drive sales growth, foster user engagement, and simplify daily transactions. The focus remains on providing a robust and flexible platform for developers to build innovative solutions.