Available in France since December 11, Google Pay allows you to pay for your purchases in stores and online using your Android smartphone.
Google has just launched Google Pay in France. The contactless payment service of the Mountain View giant allows you to pay for your purchases online, in your mobile applications but also at your usual merchants using the NFC module of your smartphone.
To use it, your smartphone must be running Android 5.0 or higher and the merchant must be equipped with a compatible payment terminal. In addition to the possibility of paying with your smartphone, Google Pay also offers to store a dematerialized version of your loyalty cards, plane and train tickets, etc.
For now, Google Pay is only compatible with a handful of banks and payment services: Boon, Boursorama Banque, Tickets Restaurant Edenred, Lydia, N26 and Revolut. If you have one of these bank cards (Mastercard only), you can configure your payment method in Google Pay to pay for your purchases with your smartphone.
1. Download Google Pay
Start by downloading the Google Pay app on your Android smartphone. Compatible with all terminals with NFC and running Android 5.0 or higher, Google Pay is free and allows you to pay for purchases up to 30 euros, without contact, using your smartphone.
Download Google Pay for Android (Free)
2. Activate NFC on your device
Open the Settings of your smartphone then, in Connected devices, activate the NFC module.
3. Configure a map
Open Google Pay and select the Google account where you want to sync your data. Then tap Get Started, then tap Add Card. The application offers two possibilities: capture an image of your bank card to automatically recognize the details entered therein, or manually enter the data.
Fill in all the necessary information, accept the terms and conditions and validate. Google Pay should ask you to validate your credit card by entering a code received by email or SMS.
4. Choose a default payment method
If you have set up several payment cards in Google Pay, it is possible to choose one by default. To do this, go to the Payment section, then access the detailed information of a card. Activate the Default card button for contactless payments.
5. Pay for your purchases in a store
To pay for in-store purchases, first make sure that the merchant has a terminal compatible with contactless payment. Unlock the screen of your smartphone and bring its back against the screen of the payment terminal. When the payment is validated, a blue check mark appears on the screen.
6. Store your loyalty cards
Google Pay also offers the possibility of storing a dematerialized version of the loyalty cards that fill your wallet or gift cards. For now, not all French brands seem to be available.
To add one, go to the Cards section, press the + Card button, and choose the type of card to add. The app asks for permission to access the device’s location.
This option, which is not compulsory, is intended to offer you promotional offers, for example, when you are near a store with a registered loyalty card.
Enter the name of a brand in the search field and select it to trigger your smartphone’s camera. Place the loyalty card barcode in the center for the app to automatically recognize and fill in the data. Validate your loyalty card by pressing Save.
