From today, Google Pay is active in Italy, the platform that allows you to manage debit and credit cards from your Google account. With Google Pay you can make online purchases and payments from mobile devices at the checkouts of all physical stores that support contactless technology, as is already the case with Apple Pay. Contactless systems are those that allow you to pay by bringing your card – or smartphone, in this case – close to a special reader, without the need to swipe a magnetic strip and enter an identification code.
Who can use Google Pay and how let's start The app is compatible with Android 5.0 and up and with WearOS, the Android operating system for smartwatches; the devices must be equipped with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, a system that allows the transmission of data between two devices at a distance of a few centimeters, a maximum of ten. Smartphones that are NFC compatible can then send and receive information from sensors to store readers.
To get started, you need to download the Google Pay app and associate a credit, debit or prepaid card, Maestro, MasterCard or Visa issued by one of these banks to your account: Mediolanum, Boon, HYPE, Nexi, N26, Revolut and Widiba. In the coming months, Iccrea Banca and Poste Italiane will join. Google Pay can also be activated from the mobile banking app.
How to pay In physical stores that accept contactless payments (you can usually find it written in the window or near the cash desks) just unlock the smartphone screen and bring it close to the reader. In online payments, however, it works as for other payment services: you have to select the “Google Pay” option among the alternatives offered by sites or apps. The option will not be available immediately on all sites: Google still speaks of “hundreds of sites” that will accept it, including Booking, Deliveroo, Flixbus, Ryanair and Vueling. If you use Google Chrome, you can make sure that from the second payment onwards the browser remembers all the data and specifications entered at the first purchase, and automatically enters them.
Google has specified that your card details are not stored on your smartphone or recorded during transactions. If your device is lost or stolen, it can be blocked by Google (“Find your phone”). In case, it would not be necessary to block the credit card as well, since the smartphone does not store its data.
