Google Pay app redesign focuses on your favorite people and stores
- Google redesigned its Pay app to focus on the people and business you deal with most.
- It can also help you save money through deals and spending tools.
- The company also teased Plex bank accounts in 2021.
The Google Pay app is being redesigned to reflect your actual shopping habits. Google unveiled a redesign for Android and iOS that focuses on the people and business you deal with most and saves you money too. Google also offered another teaser for its long-awaited digital bank accounts.
The revised Google Pay app interface deletes the usual transaction lists and decks of cards in favor of “conversations” with people and businesses. If you need to repay a friend or want to order at a favorite restaurant, both should be available right on the home screen. The app even warns you when you pay a stranger. However, you don’t need to use your transaction history to personalize the experience. This option is turned off by default and you can try it for three months instead of making a more solid commitment.
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Pay is also better at sifting through your expenses. It can organize transactions automatically and is smart enough to find exchanges based on certain criteria such as “last month” or “Mexican restaurants”.
Google also claims that the redesigned Pay app will help you save money. You will see offers from stores like Etsy and Target. When you link your bank account or payment cards, Google provides spending summaries and trends to help you manage your budget.
The internet giant is also ready to share some more details of its Google bank accounts. Now known as Plex, the mobile checking and savings accounts (shown above) are offered by 11 U.S. banks and credit unions with no monthly fees, overdraft fees, or minimum balance. They help you save “easier” to meet your life goals, Google said.
Plex accounts won’t be available until 2021, but the new Google Pay app has a waiting list when you’re ready to use services through Citi or SFCU.
As with the Apple Card, Google’s Pay redesign and Plex bank accounts are less focused on conquering finance and more on strengthening the ecosystem. In theory, for various services, you’re more likely to stick with Google if your finances revolve around the app. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – it’s just something to remember before jumping in.
