During its keynote a few days ago, Google revealed a host of new features that will be coming to the Google Assistant in the near future.
Google said the Assistant will allow users to pay for stuff, but during a later talk regarding Android Pay it also revealed users will soon be allowed to send and receive money via the Assistant.
In order to send money users will need to have a Google Home or an Android device at their disposal, as well as a debit card attached to their Google Account. The feature is expected to roll out in the upcoming months.
Once the new option becomes available, users will be able to say things like “Send $25 to Manuel Martinez” and then leave the Assistant to handle the rest. With the mention that before the transaction going through, the Assistant might ask you to authenticate yourself using a fingerprint sensor. Or you can choose to use a security code instead.
While it was not mentioned directly, the person on the receiving end of the money transfer will presumably also have to have a debit card attached to their Google Account.
The search giant also announced a new Google Payment API that supports both verified credit or debit cards linked to a Google account – which will enable faster payments in apps and online, as it requires only a security code or authentication with an Android device.
Google says Android Pay will be making its way to new markets soon, including Brazil, Canada, Russia, Spain and Taiwan.
What’s more Android Pay is gaining a new function which allowing merchants to display targeted offers based on location. The offers will pop up next to the loyalty cards for those who saved the merchant’s card in Android Pay.
Last but not least, Google unveiled a simpler way to add loyalty cards to Android Pay by pushing out notifications which smoothly links the loyalty card to their Android Pay.
