Is it possible that Google Wallet may come back from the dead? Google is planning a reveal of a redesigned Pay app for Android and iOS tomorrow (see below) and we have a pretty good idea of what they may show off. In the Youtube premiere description they say:
We invite you to watch live and learn more about the new Google Pay app, designed to help you improve your relationship with money. It’s coming to Android and iOS, starting in the US.
Pay works with an increasing number of banks worldwide and the company mentioned back in April that they want to launch their own physical and virtual debit cards to rival Apple. Though I prefer tap to pay as often as possible, I would be lying if I said that I don’t miss the ill-fated Google Wallet card that I had in my pocket for so long. The re-launch of Pay may reveal a co-branded card and interface which will help to expand it beyond its uses for just online and NFC payments. The partnership could be with Citi Bank and other partners, but until tomorrow, we won’t really know for sure.
Google Pay in India did just received a new multi-colored logo that better represents the way that the app is used there. I would wager that if Google ends up launching a physical and digital debit card in the U.S. that it may use the same logo since the app would then have the same expanded multi-use purposes in both countries.
For many in India today, GPay is effectively a replacement for the physical wallet and everything in it – cash, bills, cards, tickets etc. The new icon is meant to reflect this and how we see the world of digital payments evolve in partnership with the Indian ecosystem.
Explanation of logo redesign
My hope for the event is that Google Pay turns into something like Mint or other personal finance apps. Being able to manage all of my bills and transactions via the app instead of just the ones I processed with tap to pay would be pretty incredible. It’s no secret that they’ve dipped their toes into helping people improve their relationship with money in the past – their “Pony Express” project from years ago was geared at helping you pay bills via Gmail and now the same functionality is baked right into Assistant. I’m excited about tomorrow’s event – even if it’s just a few minutes long, I’m sure there will be tons to talk about when it’s over.
