Last month, Google launched its first payment service in India - Google Tez. The app created with an objective of facilitating digital payments, aims to contribute to the Digital India initiative and has now been downloaded five million times from the Google Play Store.
Google Tez is based on UPI and is available on iOS and Android. At the time of launch, the app supported Axis, HDFC Bank, ICICI and State Bank of India, among other banks supported by UPI. It also supports online payment partners through which you can place orders on Dominos, RedBus, and Jet Airways.
One of the talking points of the app is its ‘Nearby’ feature. Similar to how file transfer app ShareIt works, Google Tez allows you to transact with your friends nearby. This is done using the Cash Mode, which allows you to instantly transfer cash to anyone nearby without the need to share your contact or bank details. This feature works in the same way as sharing photos or media to a nearby device connected over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
To recall, when launched, Google saw nearly 1.8 crore gross merchandise volume (GMV) done with over four lakh active users. To accelerate the adoption, Google also offered Tez Scratch Cards within the app at the time of launch. Using the scratch cards, you can earn up to Rs 1,000 for eligible transactions. You can also enrol in Lucky Sundays offer to win up to Rs 1 lakh every week.
Google Tez adds to the growing portfolio of digital payment services including Paytm, BHIM, and MobiKwik among others. Another key element of the app is that it is said to be made for India and hence, brings support for Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu, in addition to English.
0 comments: