Google payment update adds features such as public transport payment

Following a major overhaul of Google Pay(Google Pay) in November that extended the service into the realm of personal finance, Google (GOOG.US) today rolled out a series of new features aimed at making Google Pay a part of users’ daily lives on Thursday.

With the update, Google Pay will now include new options for grocery stores, savings, paying for public transportation, and sorting its expenses. Through a partnership with Safeway and Target, Google Pay users can now browse their store’s weekly report, showing the latest deals.




Safeway will have more than 500 stores on Google’s payment platform, and Target stores across the country will offer similar features. Google Pay users can collect recommended offers for later use. If location is enabled, Google Payments will notify you of weekly transactions when the user is near a participating store. Another update extends Google Pay’s transportation capabilities and today supports the purchase and use of transportation tickets in more than 80 cities across the United States. The company is also integrating with Token Transit to extend Transit support to small towns across the United States.




Soon, the Google payment app will also allow Android users to get a Ride ticket from the app’s home screen using a “Ride Transit” shortcut. The user can then purchase, add or top up the balance of the transportation card. Once purchased, users can lift their transport card to the reader or display a visual ticket without the reader.

The last feature is designed for people who use Google payments to manage their finances. In the revision last year, Google partnered with 11 banks to launch a new bank account called Plex. As a competitor to a growing number of pure mobile digital banks, the Google app acts as a front end to accounts that are actually hosted by partner banks, such as Citi and the Stanford Federal Credit Union.

When the redesigned app rolls out, users are asked to opt-in to add personalization features that can help the app show them better, more relevant deals. If Google can expand its user base and encourage more people to choose to use personalization features, then Google’s ability to help brands reach consumers through Google payments will prove a valuable service.