Google Pay web app to stop working from January 2021, instant money transfers to be charged

New Delhi: Google is all set kill the web app of its payments application --Google Pay --in January and is will also charge users for instant money transfers.

On Google Pay, customers have so far been able to manage payments as well as send money from both a mobile app or from pay.google.com. However, as per the latest notice, now, Google has said that the web app site will no longer work from January next year.

"Starting early in 2021, you won't be able to use pay.google.com to send and receive money from other people. To send and receive money, use the new Google Pay app," the company informed.

While you can still manage payment methods on the web app, peer-to-peer payments will cease to exist. Google also clarified on a support page that the original Google Pay app will stop working in January.

Google Pay will also add a fee on instant money transfers.

"It can take 1–3 business days when you transfer money to your bank account. Debit card transfers are usually instant. There is a fee of 1.5% or $.31 (whichever is higher), when you transfer out money with a debit card," the company said on its support page.

Google last week introduced several features in its Pay feature for both Android and iOS users which have been first rolled out in the US. The company said it is working with trusted financial institutions to create Plex, a new mobile-first bank account integrated into Google Pay.

Earlier, in November the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had ordered an investigation on tech giant Google for using its dominant position to promote its Google Pay --its payments application --over other competing apps.

The CCI order said that the informant has given a detailed background of the Android ecosystem with regard to smart mobile devices highlighting the importance of Play Store in the overall Android architecture.

In response to the allegations, Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc. said that Google does not favour the GPay app (Tez) in Play's search rankings and these allegations are "wholly misconceived".

With IANS Inputs