After Apple and Huawei, technology giant Google could very well be the next brand to enter the physical card payment domain. As per a recent report, Google could soon launch a new physical card that is expected to be linked to the Google Pay service. The new card will reportedly be called the Google Card. However, besides this, not a lot is known about the Google Card yet.
The Google card could be a debit card co-branded with different banking partners. This includes Citi bank and Stanford Federal Credit Union. The card will also likely feature a Visa-powered chip to make it more accessible. In comparison, the Apple Card is a credit card made in partnership with Mastercard and Goldman Sachs.
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The Google Card could also feature a virtual version in addition to the physical card. Complete with its own virtual card number, the card will be useful for online purchases. This is similar to what Apple Card offers. Meanwhile, the physical card could be used at retail stores with support for contactless payments.
Integration with Google Play would mean users will be able to keep a tab on all their purchases from the application. Moreover, the app could also make operations like blocking the card easier. There is no clarity as to when exactly Google will launch the service.
However, in a recent statement, the company did say that it was working on ways to “partner with banks and credit unions in the US to offer smart checking accounts through Google Pay, helping their customers benefit from useful insights and budgeting tools, while keeping their money in an FDIC or NCUA-insured account”.
In other news, Google has ramped up COVID-19 efforts to help bring reliable information to people, and locate night shelters in their cities. The search engine has teamed up with the Government of India to launch a feature that can help people find food and night shelters. The feature is available on all smartphones as well as KaiOS devices and is also available in Hindi.
