Are Android Pay And Google Pay The Same?

No, Android Pay became Google Pay; Android Pay is retired, and Google Pay is the current brand for tap-to-pay on Android.

You’re not the only one who’s confused. Google has used a few names for the same core thing: paying with your phone at a checkout terminal. The names changed, the icons changed, and the app lineup changed by country. The tap at the store stayed familiar, so the naming drift can feel messy.

This article clears up the name swap, maps the labels you’ll see on phones and checkout screens, and gives you a quick set of checks so you know what to install, what to ignore, and what still works.

Are Android Pay And Google Pay The Same?

If you searched are android pay and google pay the same? the practical answer is yes: Google Pay is the newer name for what Android Pay did. Android Pay was the app label. Google Pay became the brand label that includes tap-to-pay at stores and payments in apps and on websites.

The part that trips people up is that “Google Pay” can mean two things at once:

A payment brand you see at checkout (“Google Pay accepted”).
An app name in some countries (“Google Pay” or “GPay” in the Play Store).

Android Pay is the old name. If you see it in a tutorial, a screenshot, or a forum post, treat it as a historical label for Google’s tap-to-pay on Android.

Android Pay And Google Pay Names At A Glance

Use this table to translate the name you see into what it means right now.

Name You Might See	What It Was	What It Points To Now
Android Pay	Android contactless payment app (older label)	Old name; Google Pay branding replaced it
Google Pay	Single brand for Google payments	Still the brand name for paying with Google
Google Pay logo on a terminal	In-store tap acceptance mark	Tap-to-pay works through your wallet app and Google Pay rails
Google Wallet (app)	Wallet app name that returned later	In many regions, the main app for cards, passes, and tap-to-pay
Google Pay app / GPay app	Standalone payments app in some markets	Still used in some countries for payments and extra features
Pay With Google Pay button	Web and in-app checkout option	Checkout using cards saved to your Google account
Tap & pay / Contactless payments setting	Android setting for the default wallet	Where you choose the app that handles NFC payments
Google Play services	System component behind payments	Still used for tap-to-pay behavior and verification

What Changed When Android Pay Became Google Pay

In January 2018, Google announced one brand for paying with Google, folding Android Pay and the prior Wallet setup under “Google Pay.” You can see that announcement in Google’s 2018 Google Pay announcement.

That shift mattered because it tied a lot of payment surfaces to one name. After the change, you could see “Google Pay” in places Android Pay never showed up:

In store terminals and signage.
On checkout buttons inside apps and websites.
Inside Google services that store cards for faster checkout.

So the name “Google Pay” became bigger than a single app. That’s why the word “Google Pay” can stick around even when the icon on your phone changes later.

How To Tell What You Should Use On Your Phone

If you just want to pay in stores, your goal is simple: install the wallet app your region uses, add a card, set it as default, and confirm NFC is on. The name on the sticker at the checkout doesn’t change those steps.

Run these checks in under five minutes:

Search your app drawer for “Wallet” or “Pay.” Open the app and see if it has an “Add to wallet” option for cards and passes.
Open Settings and search for “NFC,” “Tap & pay,” or “Contactless payments.” Confirm there’s a default payment app selected.
Open the Play Store listing for your wallet app and confirm it’s the current Google app in your region.
Check your lock screen settings. Most banks require a screen lock for tap-to-pay.

If these checks look fine, you can stop worrying about the Android Pay label. Your phone is already set for modern Google Pay tap payments.

How Tap-To-Pay Works Under The Google Pay Brand

Tap-to-pay uses NFC, the short-range radio in your phone. When you hold the phone near the reader, your device sends a tokenized form of your card details. The store gets what it needs to process the purchase, without your full card number being handed over in plain text.

The flow at the counter looks the same across names:

Pass the lock screen (PIN, fingerprint, or face check).
Hold the back of the phone near the reader’s contactless area.
Wait for the checkmark or beep, then put the phone away.

Behind the scenes, the wallet app and Google Play services handle the payment token and pass it to the terminal. That’s why you can see “Google Pay” on a terminal even if “Wallet” is the app icon you tap at home.

What You Need For Tap Payments

Most tap failures trace back to basics. Check these first:

NFC enabled.
A screen lock turned on.
A verified card inside the wallet app.
Google Play services up to date.

Where The Default Wallet Setting Lives

On many Android phones, the default wallet setting sits under Connections or Connected devices. Search Settings for “Tap & pay” if you can’t find it. Pick the wallet app you use in your region, then test with a small purchase.

Google Pay Versus Google Wallet On Modern Android

Here’s the clean mental model that ends most confusion:

Google Pay is the brand and the payment rails.
Google Wallet is often the app that holds your cards and passes.

That split is why two people can talk past each other. One person says “I use Google Pay,” meaning “I tap to pay at stores.” Another person says “I use Wallet,” meaning “I manage my cards in the Wallet app.” Both can be right, since the checkout label still says Google Pay.

Why Stores Still Say Google Pay

Merchants don’t rename their terminals or checkout buttons each time an app icon changes. “Google Pay” is the brand that tells customers a familiar action: tap your Android phone, or check out with a saved card online.

What Happened To The Google Pay App In Some Regions

Google has changed its payment apps more than once, and the setup isn’t identical in each country. A big recent change hit the United States: the standalone Google Pay app stopped being available for use starting June 4, 2024, while paying in stores and on the web under the Google Pay brand continued through the wallet experience. Google described that shift in Google’s 2024 payment apps update.

If you live outside the US, you may still see a “Google Pay” app that includes local features, money transfers, or bill tools. If you’re in the US, you’ll see Wallet as the main place to store cards for tap-to-pay. Either way, the checkout label “Google Pay” still shows up because it’s the brand used across store terminals and online checkouts.

Google Pay Online Checkout And In-Store Tap Are Not The Same Thing

People often lump these together because they share a name. Still, they behave differently.

In-store tap payments

These use NFC at a terminal. Your phone and the reader talk at short range. You pass the lock screen, tap, and you’re done.

Online Google Pay checkout

This is a web or in-app payment button. It uses payment details saved to your Google account, often tied to Chrome or your device. You pick a card, confirm the amount, and approve the purchase. You may see your shipping details and contact details filled in from your account data.

So if someone says “Google Pay works on my laptop,” they’re talking about online checkout. If someone says “Google Pay works at the grocery store,” they’re talking about NFC tap-to-pay. Same brand name, different surface.

Cards, Transit, Tickets, And IDs Where They Live

Modern wallet apps hold more than bank cards. Depending on your country and device, you may be able to store:

Debit and credit cards for contactless payments.
Transit passes and stored value cards.
Event tickets and boarding passes.
Loyalty cards and gift cards.
Digital car access on compatible devices.

This is another reason the Android Pay vs Google Pay question keeps coming up. Android Pay started as “pay with your phone.” Modern Wallet is “pay, plus store all the things you tap at gates and counters.” The brand “Google Pay” still sits on top of the payment action, while the wallet app handles storage and presentation.

If You Still See Android Pay On An Old Device

If you’ve got an older Android phone that hasn’t been updated in years, you might still see “Android Pay” in old screenshots or even an outdated app on a device that never updated. In most cases, the fix is straightforward: update the app from the Play Store, then sign in again.

Try these steps in order:

Update Google apps from the Play Store (Wallet or Pay, plus Google Play services).
Restart the phone after updates finish.
Open the wallet app and re-add your cards if prompted.
Check NFC, then try a small in-store purchase.

If your phone no longer receives system updates and your bank requires a newer Android version, you may hit a hard stop. At that point, you can still use the physical card, or move wallet payments to a newer device.

Troubleshooting Tap-To-Pay Issues

If tap-to-pay fails, it’s rarely about the Android Pay label. It’s usually a settings, NFC, or card-verification issue. Run through these checks before you chase app names.

Fast checks at the counter

Pass the lock screen before you tap. A locked screen can block payment.
Tap the back of your phone to the reader’s NFC spot. Some readers are picky.
Try a different default card, then tap again.
Remove thick cases or metal rings that can interfere with NFC.

Checks you can do at home

Confirm NFC is enabled and the default contactless app is set.
Open the wallet app and confirm the card shows as ready for tap payments.
Toggle Airplane mode on and off, then retry to reset radios.
Restart the phone to clear stuck background services.

If a single merchant terminal fails while others work, the reader itself may be the issue. Try another store before changing a bunch of settings.

Quick fix table for confusing screens and messages

When you see a weird label, use this table to translate it into a next action.

What You See	What It Usually Means	What To Do Next
Android Pay in an old tutorial	Outdated naming	Use current Wallet or Google Pay labels when following steps
Google Pay logo on a terminal	Merchant accepts tap-to-pay	Pass lock screen, tap, then wait for confirmation
Tap & pay shows no default app	Default wallet not set	Select Wallet (or your region’s pay app) as default
Card shows “Not set up”	Bank verification not finished	Verify inside the wallet app, then try again
Tap works for one card only	Other card not enabled for tap payments	Re-add the card and verify again with your bank
“Couldn’t finish setup” during add card	Phone OS or Play services too old	Update apps and system; if blocked, use a newer device
Wallet shows card, terminal declines	Issuer or merchant declined the token	Use the physical card once, then test tap later
Online checkout offers Google Pay	Pay with a saved card via Google account	Select it, pick a card, then approve the purchase
Watch payment fails	Watch lock or provisioning issue	Set a lock on the watch and add the card to the watch wallet

Safety and privacy basics that matter

Digital wallet payments feel casual, so people skip basics. A few habits lower risk with almost no extra work:

Use a screen lock on phone and watch.
Turn on device tracking so you can lock or wipe a lost phone.
Use two-step verification on your Google account.
Review saved cards and passes after travel, then remove what you don’t use.

Tap payments use tokenized card details, which limits what a merchant can see. Still, your best protection is a locked device and a protected account.

Checklist before your next tap payment

Do this once, and most tap issues never show up again:

Update Wallet (or the Google Pay app in your region).
Enable NFC and set the default contactless app.
Add one card and finish bank verification.
Set that card as default, then make a small purchase.
Enable screen lock and device tracking.

Once you’ve done that, the naming stops being stressful. You’ll tap at a terminal that says Google Pay, manage cards in Wallet, and you’ll know why both labels can be true. At that point, the answer to are android pay and google pay the same? feels straightforward in daily use.