Google Pay expands in Singapore; app refreshed to cater to local needs

In a first, Google Pay now allows Singaporean users to form groups to organize and manage payments, divide bills and other joint expenses within the app. With the resumption of dine-in services, requesting and receiving payments after a meal with friends will be easier with a new 'Split a Bill' feature.

Google is improving and expanding its online payment app, Google Pay, in Singapore. Building on Singapore's national real-time payment service, PayNow, the app has been improved to cater to the local needs.

"The goal isn't just to make Singaporeans feel at home. It's part of a bigger effort to design Google Pay with local needs in mind. Singaporeans were already using Google Pay to tap onto public transport and pay for purchases at more than 80,000 checkout counters. Now, together with our partners, we're improving and expanding the Google Pay app in Singapore to better reflect the growing role of digital payments in peoples’ lives," Google wrote in a blog post.

In addition to OCBC customers, Google Pay now allows DBS Paylah! and Standard Chartered Bank customers to make payments to anybody in Singapore by using their phone number. In addition, customers of these three banks can use their linked accounts to pay any business with a visible PayNow QR code, thereby allowing merchants to receive payments in their corporate bank accounts.

In a first, Google Pay now allows Singaporean users to form groups to organize and manage payments, divide bills and other joint expenses within the app. With the resumption of dine-in services, requesting and receiving payments after a meal with friends will be easier with a new 'Split a Bill' feature.

Image Credit: Google Pay

Now, moviegoers can book a movie ticket and reserve their seats instantly within the app. They can choose from a total of 174 screens across the country including Golden Village and Shaw Theatres.

Further, Google Pay gives virtual scratchcards as instant cashback rewards for transactions as well as when users introduce a friend to the app. Google promises more improvements to the app in the future to make it more helpful for Singaporeans.

"The ways Singaporeans manage their money and pay for the things they need are changing and so are their expectations of payment apps. We're looking forward to continuing to improve Google Pay for everyone in Singapore, building on everything we've announced today," Patrick Teo, Director of Engineering, Google Pay wrote in the post.