These major retailers accept Google Pay in the US – Android Police

You don't need Apple or Samsung to make payments with your phone. You can use Google Pay even on a budget Android phone. Be careful, though, because Google Pay uses a different technology than Apple to communicate with your bank and it isn't accepted at many US retailers. The good news is that most major stores accept it. We compiled this list of the major US retailers who accept Google Pay to take the guesswork out of it.

Google Pay is a newcomer to the digital payment landscape. Samsung Pay and Apple Pay rolled out in 2015, and Google struggled to catch up. First, there was Android Pay. Then there was Google Wallet, which didn't have a payment system built in. Then, in 2020, Google Pay was launched. Better late than never.

Google Pay works similarly to Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. Tap your phone on an NFC terminal, and with the happy ding of a bell, you've made a transaction. It's behind the scenes that you see the differences. For starters, Google Pay stores your card on the Google servers. Your card number and your bank authentication are used to make the payment. It is the digital copy of tapping your NFC-compatible debit card. Apple Pay doesn't work the same.

Apple creates a secure token to represent your card. This token looks like a debit card number, although it is randomly generated. Apple requests a Device Access Number (DAN) from your bank, which it links to this token. When you tap Apple Pay, the merchant and Apple only see the token, not your card number. Apple has no idea what your actual card number is. That remains between you and your bank.

This makes Apple Pay more secure. Google's servers are secure and have yet to be hacked, so your bank information should be safe there.

Samsung Pay works similarly to Google Pay, but it has a leg up on Apple and Google. It can use NFC and MST. NFC allows you to tap your phone or card to make a payment. MST, Magnetic Secure Transmission, is the slightly older method of swiping the magnetic strip on your bank card along a receiver in the terminal. Samsung Pay allows your phone to spoof this and trick the terminal into thinking a card was swiped, thus making Samsung Pay available almost everywhere.

Any place that accepts Apple Pay also accepts Google Pay. It seems that the Apple Pay sticker you see on shop doors is a generic term for mobile payments, much like how we call all tissues Kleenex. This is because both systems rely on NFC. If you can tap your card, you can use a mobile payment.

Not all major retailers in the US accept mobile payments. Many smaller retailers are behind on the times, mainly for financial reasons. Transaction fees on a bank-supplied NFC terminal can take a big slice of a small business' revenue. Here are the major retailers that accept Google Pay.

Almost all the grocery chains in the US accept Google Pay.

While most US restaurants and fast food chains accept Google Pay, a few franchises may not. Ask a staff member if you're unsure. The following accept Google Pay:

Gas stations are one of those categories of retailers that are taking a long time to catch up. Switching pumps to include NFC payments is expensive, so most gas stations require you to visit the cashier to use Google Pay. The following companies accept Google Pay at many of their pumps (not all):

Exxon Mobile only accepts Apple Pay with the Speedpass+ app, but not Google Pay. This may change in the future.

The big cinema chains accept Google Pay.

Most home improvement chains in the United States do not accept Google Pay. We're not sure why this is, but it probably comes down to cost. A few accept it, including the following:

Most major retailers accept Google Pay. The ones that don't are usually hardware stores or smaller businesses. The following major retailers do not accept any form of mobile payment, including Google Pay:

Kroger and Walmart offer payment apps similar to Apple Pay. Download Kroger Pay or the Walmart app from the App Store to use your phone to make payments at these stores.

Google Pay is a fast and easy way to make payments. Tap your phone, and you're set. Google Pay lives in your Google Wallet, where you can also store your loyalty cards, and, in some states, your ID in Google Wallet. You still need to pay for your lumber in cash, however.

Go here to read the rest:

These major retailers accept Google Pay in the US - Android Police