American tech giant Google unveiled a series of innovative features for its payment platform, Google Pay, during the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 in Mumbai, which concluded on Friday. Among the highlights is a new feature called UPI Circle, designed to enhance the digital payment experience by allowing users to include family members and friends as secondary participants in transactions without the need for them to link their own bank accounts.
The introduction of UPI Circle marks a significant step forward in collaborative digital payments, made possible through a strategic partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This feature offers flexibility, providing users with the option for either partial or full delegation of payment responsibilities, making it easier for groups to manage expenses collectively.
In addition to UPI Circle, Google Pay also announced the launch of eRupi, a voucher-based payment solution that expands the versatility of UPI. This new feature allows both existing UPI users and organizations, including government bodies and corporations, to issue UPI Vouchers, simplifying the process of issuing and redeeming vouchers for various services and transactions.
The platform has also enhanced its support for RuPay cards by introducing Tap & Pay, a contactless payment feature. RuPay cardholders can now use their mobile devices to make quick and secure payments, further integrating the convenience of digital transactions into everyday life.
Moreover, Google Pay introduced an autopay feature for UPI Lite, streamlining recurring payments for users. The app now also supports ClickPay QR, making it easier for users to initiate payments by simply scanning a QR code, thereby reducing the steps involved in the payment process.
Meanwhile, Google Meet is introducing a new Gemini AI-powered feature called 'take notes for me,' which allows users to automatically generate notes during a video call. Initially announced by the tech giant last September, this update is now being made available to select Google Workspace users.
(With inputs from PTI)
