How to use Google Pay in India: a complete guide 2021

1. Install Google Pay from Play Store

2. Once installed, open the app and enter your mobile number linked with your bank account

3. Pick your Google account, and hit the Next button

4. You will get the OTP and Google Pay will automatically verify it

5. Select the option to secure your account with a current phone screen lock or create a new 4-digit Google PIN

6. Once the above steps are completed, you’ll be taken to the app’s home screen

Adding bank account on Google Pay

• In the home screen, tap on the profile icon on the top right corner

• Under the payment methods, click on the Bank account

• Click on Add Bank Account

• Select your bank from the list

• Allow your phone to send SMS

• Your bank account will be displayed with the UPI ID. It is an automated process

• Click the Activate account button below

• You will be taken to a page where you will have to enter the last 6 digits of your debit/ATM card along with expiry date

• After entering the details, you’ll get another OTP

• You’ll be asked to set up a UPI PIN (a 4/6 digit PIN) twice

• Once this is done, your bank account will be added to Google Pay

In case you want to change your app language later, you can click on the profile icon in the home screen, then tap on settings. Now, click on the language and select your preferred language.

How to add multiple bank accounts and check balance

Google Pay also allows you to add more than one bank account. To add multiple accounts, you just need to follow the same steps as above. First, tap on the profile photo in the home screen and then click on the existing bank account. Now you will have to repeat steps 2 to 10 again.

Checking the bank balance is pretty straightforward. You scroll down on the home page, click on the “check account balance” and click on the bank account for which you want to check the balance. Now, tap on the View Balance, enter UPI code and you will get the balance.

Also, you can set the primary bank account from which you want to send/receive money. It is the same as Check balance, you can select “Set as primary account” and that particular bank account will be made your default bank account.

User Interface

The Home screen is where you get access to all the things. On the right top, you have your account details with your profile icons. It will have the account details of your Google Pay account like your name, mobile number, UPI ID, bank account details, and more.

Once you’ve completed your setup, you might not need to access this screen much. On to the left of the home screen, you will have a scanner icon, which you can use to pay (more on that ahead).

The second half of the home screen is where all the major transactions happen. It will have your recently transacted people with their name and profile icon with “People” tag along with a “Pay” button towards the right. Just below this, Google Pay has another section called “Businesses and bills” with recent translation history. It is tagged along with an explore button. There is a Rewards, Offers, and Referrals section just below.

Lastly, to check your payment history, you have “See all payment activity” and “Check account balance” sections. There is also a “New Payment” floating button on the home screen.

How to pay using Google Pay?

With Google Pay app, you can pay in many ways. Let’s take a look at all the methods here:

Pay with mobile number/name

For any person across the country, you can pay with just his/her mobile number. If the contact is saved in your phone, it’s pretty straight forward.

• Click on the "New Payment" button on the home screen

• Select the contact from the list or enter the phone number

• You’ll be taken to a new screen, click on “Pay” and enter the amount. Adding a small note below the amount would be handy.

• Tap on "Proceed" to pay

• Enter UPI PIN and money will be transferred instantly

Pay with QR code/Spot Code

When you go to any shop or other businesses, you can pay via QR code scanner. Just open the scanner on the top left of the screen, scan the QR code, enter the amount, and enter the PIN. In case someone sends you their QR code via WhatsApp or other apps, you can access the image from scanner page from the top right corner by clicking on the menu icon (three dots) on “Upload from the gallery”.

Google also introduced a new Spot code recently. Spot code is Google’s visual code for Google Pay in India. It works similar to the QR code. You can share and scan Spot code. The spot codes can be used to pay merchants as they offer branded experience.

• Open Google Pay

• Tap on the scanner icon

• Now, click on "Show my Spot Code"

• People can scan the code with Google Pay scanner

Pay with Bank account info

• Click on "New payment" in the home screen

• Tap on Bank transfer

• Fill Account number, re-enter, IFSC code, and recipient name

• Click continue

• Enter the amount and note

• Enter your UPI PIN

Self Transfer

If you have multiple bank accounts and want to transfer funds between them, you can follow these steps.

• Tap on "New payment"

• Select Self-transfer

• Select from and to account, click next

• Enter amount

In case you want to completely close the Google Pay account, you can also do that. Head to the settings -> scroll down to Close account and tap -> click Close. You UPI accounts will be deregistered.

Once you start using UPI apps like Google Pay, it will completely change the way you pay money. It offers several banking features at your fingertips. In the time of lockdown where we have to maintain social distance, the Scan and pay feature will come in handy.

Google Pay also comes with security features. The app asks you to unlock your screen with fingerprint/PIN/password every time you open it. The payments are also secured by UPI PIN.