Google Pay launches SoundPod to boost digital payments in India

By Gloria Mathias

Google Pay has announced the launch of its new product, SoundPod, with a move to continue investments to accelerate payments in India.

Google Pay launched in India in September 2017 and has been a committed collaborator in India’s pioneering journey with safe and secure digital payments.

Last year, Google introduced its product, SoundPod, in a limited pilot, an audio device that helps merchants track QR code payments with audio alerts when a payment is received. Participating merchants have shared positive feedback, noting that it reduces checkout time. Google Pay has shared that SoundPods will be available for small merchants across India over the coming months, bringing considerable ease and convenience to millions of SMBs.

This is in addition to the slate of consumer and merchant offerings we announced in October 2023 to expand the availability of responsible credit in India.

UPI’s hallmark of seamless interoperability between all elements of the financial system has redefined possibilities not just for India, but equally for the world. In January, GooglePay announced a collaboration with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) to make UPI payments possible from outside India and to facilitate the adoption of UPI-like frameworks in countries beyond India.

Even as its approach evolves in other countries, including recent changes specific to the U.S., there is no bearing on how the Google Pay app functions for users and merchants in India.

To be able to play a role in India’s digital payments story is a matter of deep pride for Google, providing invaluable lessons on how digital transformation happens in tech-forward societies, and it aims to continue to stay deeply invested in this journey for the long term.