Google “accidentally” posts Wallet preview; says app not launched in India

Google is continuing to invest in Google Pay in India [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

A TechCrunch report from April 16 said Google previewed its Wallet app “accidentally” in India. The outlet shared that the listing revealed features like loading loyalty cards and buying things, which were later updated with generic features focused on U.S. brands.

But the Alphabet-owned company clarified that Google Wallet has not been launched in India yet and that it continues to invest in the Pay app.

“While we don’t have anything new to share right now, we’re always working to bring more convenience to people’s digital experiences in India. We’re continuing to invest in the Google Pay app to give people easy, secure access to digital payments,” a Google spokesperson said.

Google Wallet allows users to securely tokenise and store their debit and credit cards, replacing actual card numbers with unique codes or virtual cards. It also doubles as a digital wallet, capable of storing various items such as gift cards, gym memberships, event tickets, and flight tickets.

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India is a major market for Google, as the country’s tech users have widely adopted smartphone-enabled payments from competing providers under the UPI system.

Users with compatible WearOS-powered smartwatches in regions where the service is available can download the Wallet app to make contactless payments directly from their wrist. Users also get an optional biometric authentication for payments, making the experience more secure.

This article has been updated to include official comments from Google