Report: Google to turn Google Pay into e-commerce portal

Google will reportedly add branded buttons for retailers inside its payment app.

According to The Information, before the end of 2020, Google plans to let both online and brick-and-mortar retailers offer branded buttons within the U.S. version of the Google Pay mobile payment app. The buttons would enable shoppers to place and pay for orders without leaving the app.

Google is planning this expansion of its digital payment offering as the continuing COVID-19 pandemic shows signs of increasing consumer receptiveness to contactless payment. According to a recent global survey from Salesforce, 27% of consumers are using contactless payment more since the start of the pandemic and 31% are using it the same. Only 8% of respondents are using contactless payment less, with the remaining 34% who have never used it representing a potential base of new customers.

Google Pay currently lets users digitally store payment cards in the app and tap a payment terminal to make purchases in-store or press a button on a website or an e-commerce app. Google announced it would globally revamp its payment products in 2020 during its Q1 2020 earnings call.