Google Pay, the global digital payments platform, is expected to be officially launched in Pakistan by mid-March 2025.
According to sources, the platform, confirmed by Google in November 2024, will be facilitated through partnerships with Visa, Mastercard and major local banks.
This digital service will allow Pakistani users to link their bank-issued debit and credit cards to Google Pay through the Google Wallet app, allowing them to benefit from contactless digital payments.
Although the initial launch of the Google app will aim to enable basic contactless payments, features such as loyalty cards and public transport passes will not be available at first.
Sources have confirmed that preparations for the launch are underway, with four to six major banks working with Visa and Mastercard to meet the technical requirements.
The State Bank of Pakistan said the country’s payments infrastructure is well positioned to support the service, with 133,000 point-of-sale (POS) terminals, 99% of which are already fully prepared to support contactless mobile payments.
Previously, according to leaked developer release notes, although Google did not make an official announcement, these notes indicated that Pakistan, as well as countries like Egypt, Venezuela, Bermuda, Cambodia and El Salvador, were included in the list for the next World Cup. deployment of Google Wallet.
What is Google Wallet? Google Wallet, formerly known as Google Pay, is a digital wallet that allows users to store payment cards, loyalty cards, boarding passes, tickets and other digital cards on their Android devices .
It facilitates contactless payments on compatible point-of-sale terminals, making transactions faster and more convenient. Besides payments, Google Wallet serves as a platform for managing various digital credentials.
