What you need to know
- Online checkout with Google Pay now displays total cost and shipping options.
- You can now check into flights directly from Google Assistant.
- Boarding passes and transit tickets can now be stored in Google Pay.
During this year's I/O keynote, Google showed off a number of ways that it's improving its Google Pay service for online businesses and, in turn, their customers. Through changes made to the Google Pay API, sites can now offer more transparent checkout experiences and better integration with services like Google Assistant.
If you've shopped at an online store that uses Google Pay during checkout, you're already familiar with the accompanying payment sheet that lets you quickly select your card information during a transaction.
Going forward, Google will display the total price of your transaction directly within that sheet so that there's no need to refer back to a previous page. It's also adding modifiers that allow merchants to display important information like shipping options.
Google is also launching a "createButton" API that allows web developers to insert a purchase button that matches the styling of a user's device based on local settings. Shoppers will also be able to see their default card in the button without needing to open the payment sheet.
The Google Pay API for Pass is being updated, as well. You can now add boarding passes directly to Google Pay, and receive high-priority notifications leading up to a corresponding flight, including quick access to the boarding pass and any updates regarding gate changes, delays, or cancellations.
Thanks to the Passes API, you can also check into a flight directly from Google Assistant, then access the boarding pass from Assistant or Google Pay.
That Passes API also allows transit providers (subways, for example) to add tickets to Google Pay, with dynamic barcodes that refresh every few seconds for added security.
