Compulsive shoppers rejoice: Google Pay is now on your browser, iOS device

Google Pay is the company’s rebranded payment platform, unifying all Google’s major payment solutions under one brand. The firm has taken a major step towards seamless integration this week, as Google Pay is coming to desktop and iOS.

Gerardo Capiel, product management director of consumer payments, announced the news in a blog post, and it means you can use the service on Chrome, Safari or Firefox. The cross-platform nature of Google Pay also means you can save your card on a Chromebook, and use it on a wildly different device, such as an iPhone.

If you spot a “buy with G Pay” button in your desktop browser (as seen below), it means that you’re ready to go.

This week’s news marks the latest Google Pay evolution, having its roots in Google Wallet and Android Pay. The new platform is more than just a fresh coat of paint, also featuring peer-to-peer payments via Google Assistant, and transit ticket integration.

The Mountain View company is also running a refer-a-friend promotion, allowing you and a friend to earn $10 for each Google Pay referral. The promo has a $100 reward cap and ends on May 14.

The newly unified Google Pay comes almost two years after Apple Pay’s 2016 launch, which supports peer-to-peer payments via Siri and web-based payments. However, Apple’s solution is contingent on having a Mac or iOS device, limiting its reach on paper compared to Google Pay.

When it comes to geographical reach, however, Apple Pay is slightly ahead of Google Pay — available in more than 25 regions while Google Pay sits on 18. Nevertheless, both companies will need to focus on making their services available in the first place if they hope to become the preferred solution.