Google Pay is catching up with Apple Pay

Google’s proprietary digital wallet service has done a pretty good job of keeping up with Apple Pay over the last year or so in terms of both US availability and international expansions, frequently spreading its wings to new banks, as well as major retailers like Target.

Before long, Google Pay will also catch up with its arch-rival as far as eBay support is concerned, according to an official announcement issued earlier today. After relying almost entirely on PayPal for payment processing on its extensive e-commerce platform, eBay started a transition in 2018 that’s scheduled to be completed by 2021. The eventual goal is to manage transactions on its own with the help of a lesser-known company called Adyen.

From customers’ perspective, this gradual move seems to be improving the flexibility of the shopping experience, which is certainly a welcomed change. Apple Pay already joined eBay’s list of PayPal alternatives several months back, with Google Pay availability set to be offered to Android users “starting in early April.” To complete an eBay purchase using the search giant’s digital wallet app, you’ll need to shop from a seller enrolled in this new “payments experience”, and something tells us that will only include a small piece of the huge marketplace to begin with.

But rest assured, as eBay plans to make both Google Pay and Apple Pay “increasingly available to shoppers as the program grows to process more volume in additional geographies.” And if you prefer the “classic” e-shopping experience, you have no reason to fret either, as PayPal is not going anywhere. Not today and not in 2021. eBay is simply branching out, offering customers more payment options on their end, from Android and iOS devices, as well as computers running all sorts of operating systems.