Every time I pull out my phone to pay at a store, the cashiers assume I’ll be paying through UPI. While the payment infrastructure has a lot going for it, I prefer credit cards, so I use Google Pay’s Tap to Pay feature. Google launched the feature in India in 2020, but it was limited to just two banks and predictably didn’t gain much traction.
But Google has developed this feature over the past five years and Tap to Pay works with most debit and credit cards issued in India. I have used it with HDFC Infinia along with Axis and ICICI cards and it works without any issues. The best part is that since all point of sale machines in retail stores have UPI availability, they get NFC by default, so you can use Tap to Pay to pay with your phone at almost any retail location in India.
What is Google Pay’s Tap to Pay feature?
The Tap to Pay feature uses the NFC protocol to enable contactless payments. You simply add your debit or credit card to Google Pay and your card is stored virtually. Then, when you need to pay, just pull out Google Pay, go to the Tap & Pay menu, select the card you want to pay with and hold your phone close to the point of sale machine – it’s that easy.
Article continues below
The feature is so convenient that I haven’t bothered to take out my wallet in over a year; Tap to Pay works everywhere and there’s no hassle. Registering the card is as simple as possible; Most Visa and MasterCard network cards issued in India are compatible and you can even add a few RuPay credit cards. Because there is so much to do with banking in India, Amex cards cannot be added to Google Pay, but American Express is.
What’s especially great is that there are no transaction limits; I used this feature to pay bills over ₹ 50,000 (we went a bit overboard at Ikea) and in these scenarios you need to enter the card’s PIN to authorize the transaction. Google Pay uses a tokenized system that creates a virtual card number, so your real card information isn’t sent when you pay.
How to enable Tap to Pay
It’s easy enough to add your debit or credit card to Google Pay and start contactless transactions using Tap to Pay. Here’s how to get started:
- Turn on Google Pay.
- Go to Find & Pay.
- Select Add.
- Add your card details and select Save and continue.
- You must authenticate via SMS.
- Once this is done, your card is added to Google Pay and you will see it in the Tap & Pay section.
I’ve been using the feature for a few years now and haven’t had any issues. It’s always great to be able to pay with my phone and an instant alert pops up when the transaction is complete.
The feature also works reliably abroad, and I’ve had no problems paying using Google Pay in the US, UK, Spain, or the dozen or so other countries I’ve been to in the last two years (except China, obviously). If you haven’t set up Tap to Pay on Google Pay yet, now is the time to do so.
