In an announcement, Google Pay revealed its plans to make the SoundPod portable speaker available for small merchants across India. This follows the initial launch of the Google Pay SoundPod product last year, which underwent a limited pilot phase. The SoundPod serves as an innovative audio device aimed at aiding merchants in tracking QR code payments by providing them with audio alerts upon receiving payment.
Ambarish Kenghe, Vice President of Products at Google Pay, expressed satisfaction with the positive feedback received from participating merchants during the pilot phase. They noted the SoundPod’s effectiveness in reducing checkout time, prompting plans to make SoundPods accessible to small merchants nationwide in the coming months, to enhance convenience for millions of SMBs.
Meanwhile, it’s noteworthy that Paytm currently dominates a significant share of the portable speaker market, while PhonePe is also expanding its offerings in this domain. However, Google Pay SoundPod will also soon be ready to enter the market. Additionally, in January, Google Pay announced a collaboration with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) to facilitate UPI payments from outside India and promote the adoption of UPI-like frameworks globally.
Despite recent changes in its approach in various countries, including the U.S., Google assures users and merchants in India that there will be no impact on the functionality of the Google Pay app within the country. Since its launch in September 2017, Google Pay has continued to evolve and adapt to meet the needs of users and merchants, reaffirming its commitment to the Indian market.
Moreover, Google Pay has played a pivotal role in revolutionizing digital payments in India through its integration with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) framework. Since its inception, Google Pay has become one of the leading digital payment platforms in the country, offering users a seamless and convenient means to send and receive money, pay bills, recharge mobile phones, and make online purchases.
With its user-friendly interface and widespread acceptance among merchants, Google Pay has emerged as a preferred choice for millions of Indians seeking to embrace the digital economy.
