This article was written in collaboration with OCBC. All views expressed in this article are the independent opinion of DollarsAndSense.sg
Whether you’re an iOS or Android phone user, you would undoubtedly be using one (or more) of Google’s cross-platform services, including its namesake search engine, the Google Docs productivity suite, Google Drive/Photos for digital asset management, as well as Google Hangouts for video conferencing.
The relatively newer and lesser-used Google Pay service may not yet be part of the services that you have considered using. However, it does have plenty of useful features for users in Singapore, which might earn it a permanent place on your phone. And no, you do not need an Android phone to use Google Pay, since apps are available on both iOS and Android.
Here are 5 ways you could (and perhaps should) be using Google Pay in your daily life.
#1 Use Your Phone To Pay For MRT And Bus Rides
Why continue to fish your bag for your EZ-Link card or have to ready your wallet to tap using your credit card, when you can use your (NFC-compatible) phone to tap on the reader instead?
With Google Pay, you can add a credit card that you want to use for your public transportation and use your phone to tap when boarding and alighting from the MRT or buses in Singapore.
If you’re a commuter interested in streamlining your daily routine, then Google Pay is definitely an app you need to check out.
Read Also: Concession Passes For Working Adults: Are They Ever Worth It?
#2 Make Contactless Payments At Merchants With Your Phone
Similar to public transportation, you can use Google Pay to pay at any of the merchants that accept contactless payments for your credit/debit cards.
Whether you leave your wallet behind deliberately – such as when you’re out for a run – or accidentally, you can still pay with the same convenience and enjoy the same card rewards, even when your card(s) are nowhere in sight.
Read Also: Beginners’ Guide To Cashless Payment Platforms In Singapore
#3 Pay For Online Purchases Securely And Conveniently
With a wide range of online merchants and apps accepting Google Pay, including Zalora, Deliveroo, and Foodpanda, you can simply select Google Pay as your preferred mode of payment, and pay in one click – without needing to give your credit card details to these platforms.
Where supported by vendors, Google Pay is not only quicker but also more secure, since your credit card details will never be shared with other payment providers.
Non-exhaustive list of online platforms and apps that accept Google Pay.
#4 Order And Pay Ahead At Selected Restaurants To Skip The Queue
If you’re ordering takeout, wouldn’t it be nice if you can browse the menu while you’re on the way to the food stall, place your order and make payment, and then simply show up to collect the prepared food?
With Google Pay and their network of partner food and beverage providers, you can! And with the heightened risk of COVID-19, doing so keeps you and those around you safer as well.
The participating list of merchants are modest but growing. So, we can look forward to even more vendors coming on board.
Non-exhaustive list of food & beverage places that accept advance orders with Google Pay.
#5 Instant Funds Transfer To Peers Via PayNow
The newest feature of Google Pay is PayNow integration, which enables peer-to-peer funds transfer between 9 participating banks in Singapore, including OCBC, DBS/POSB, UOB, Bank of China, Citibank, HSBC, Commercial Bank of China, Maybank, and Standard Chartered.
With OCBC being the first (and currently only) partner bank to come on board, Google Pay users can link their OCBC bank account as one of the payment sources within Google Pay – alongside credit cards and prepaid cards.
With this integration, Google Pay users can also make peer-to-peer funds transfer to any PayNow user right from within Google Pay (subject to daily transfer limit of $1,000).
Setting up Google Pay to work with your OCBC bank account is easy.
Step 1: Download Google Pay from the iOS and Android app stores.
Step 2: During set-up, enter your PayNow-linked mobile number.
Step 3: Enter the one-time password sent by OCBC to authenticate.
Step 4: If you don’t have screen lock, you’ll need to set it up for security reasons.
So whether you want to pay a friend back for a meal, transfer allowance to your parents, or pay someone for a Carousell transaction, you can do instantly using Google Pay, by scanning their PayNow-compliant QR code or sending it to their PayNow-registered mobile number.
OCBC Pay Anyone x Google Pay Launch Promotions
To reward you for being one of the first few Google Pay users in Singapore to make peer-to-peer funds transfers using Google Pay’s integration with OCBC Pay Anyone, there are two concurrent promotions running from now till 24 May 2020.
First, the first two peer-to-peer funds transfer above $10 you make to each recipient entitles you to up to two digital scratch cards a week, which earns you a random amount of cashback (up to $30).
This means, if I have a friend Timothy and make a $10 fund transfer to him this week, I can receive one digital scratch card. If I want to double my chances, I can make a similar fund transfer to another friend, Dinesh. There doesn’t seem to be any prohibition from round-tripping the money, so if they transfer money back to me, they will earn digital scratch cards for themselves.
And next week, we can do the same and receive another set of digital scratch cards. There is currently no specified end date for the scratch and win promotion, so it makes to maximise it while it lasts!
The second promotion is harder to win but much more lucrative. At the start of each week, two letters of the alphabet will be announced. If your name contains both letters, you’ll be in the running to win a Google Pixel 4 smartphone (worth $1,199) if you clocked the highest number of peer-to-peer transactions to unique recipients that week.
There are 5 weeks of the contest and 5 Google Pixel 4 phones to win, so enlist your Google Pay x OCBC Pay Anyone squad and clock your transactions today!
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