Recently, Google Pay with Google Wallet was released in Malaysia. We’ve been testing it out at work and have found something rather intriguing. You can use Google Pay to make purchases at contactless payment terminals without having to unlock your phone if you enable this feature and set up your credit and debit cards.
It was first disappointing that there wasn’t an unique shortcut command to launch Google Pay. For instance, Samsung lets you use Samsung Pay by swiping up from the bottom of your phone. Apple allows you to activate Apple Pay by double tapping the power button in the interim. But based on early testing, it didn’t appear that there was any other option besides opening the Wallet ap
It was first disappointing that there wasn’t an unique shortcut command to launch Google Pay. For instance, Samsung lets you use Samsung Pay by swiping up from the bottom of your phone. Apple allows you to activate Apple Pay by double tapping the power button in the interim. But based on early testing, it didn’t appear that there was any other option besides opening the Wallet ap
Later, it was discovered that you don’t actually need to do that. Actually, you don’t even need to open an app. Simply tap your device at a contactless payment terminal to use Google Pay to make your purchase.
This implies that using Google Pay won’t even require you to unlock your smartphone. The transaction limit for paying without unlocking your smartphone in Malaysia is RM250, as stated on Google’s website that this is for “minor payments”. However, a bank representative stated that there is no transaction restriction once your phone is unlocked.
There are, however, two sides to a situation like this. One could argue that since it essentially takes no input, this is the most practical of the three “Pay” services for mobile payments. However, there is also the worry that this is the least secure method.
But when you think about it, this is the experience that is closest like a typical contactless card. When you tap your card on a terminal to make a purchase, there is no authentication required beforehand, and the only security measure is the same RM250 transaction cap that Google Pay imposes.
That being said, experiences should be enhanced by technology. Since so many people now use Samsung Pay and Apple Pay frequently, it’s safe to assume that everyone appreciates the extra protection that comes with having to authenticate before each purchase and the conscious requirement to activate it with a swipe or double-tap shortcut.
This implies that using Google Pay won’t even require you to unlock your smartphone. The transaction limit for paying without unlocking your smartphone in Malaysia is RM250, as stated on Google’s website that this is for “minor payments”. However, a bank representative stated that there is no transaction restriction once your phone is unlocked.
There are, however, two sides to a situation like this. One could argue that since it essentially takes no input, this is the most practical of the three “Pay” services for mobile payments. However, there is also the worry that this is the least secure method.
But when you think about it, this is the experience that is closest like a typical contactless card. When you tap your card on a terminal to make a purchase, there is no authentication required beforehand, and the only security measure is the same RM250 transaction cap that Google Pay imposes.
That being said, experiences should be enhanced by technology. Since so many people now use Samsung Pay and Apple Pay frequently, it’s safe to assume that everyone appreciates the extra protection that comes with having to authenticate before each purchase and the conscious requirement to activate it with a swipe or double-tap shortcut.