Google Pay Expands QR Payment Offerings to Local Indian Merchants Following Successful Trial Period

Google said Thursday it plans to roll out the SoundPod, its portable speaker designed to instantly validate and announce successful payments, to small merchants across India over the coming months. The Google Pay expansion in India, where the company is among the mobile payment market leaders, comes even as the firm winds down some of its payments apps in the U.S. The sound-box was invented to serve small Indian merchants unable to afford regular point-of-sale devices but accepting of UPI payments. The company said merchants who use SoundPod to process 400 payments in a month will get $1.5 in cashback. Reliance, India’s largest firm by market cap, also began testing a similar device at its campus last year, TechCrunch earlier reported.

Google announced on Thursday its plans to launch the SoundPod, a portable speaker designed for quick and secure payment validations, to small merchants all over India in the coming months. This expansion of Google Pay in India, where the company leads the mobile payment market, coincides with the winding down of some of its payment apps in the United States.

The company’s Vice President of Products for Google Pay, Ambarish Kenghe, wrote in a blog post that during the limited trial of SoundPod last year, merchants found it to be very helpful in reducing checkout time, resulting in positive feedback.

The mini jukeboxes, affectionately referred to as “sound-boxes” in India, have gained widespread adoption in the country, providing merchants with a sense of relief upon receiving payments and allowing them to dispute any fraudulent claims.

Currently, financial services firm Paytm dominates the sound-box market, with PhonePe also expanding its device. It is estimated that more than 20 million merchants in India utilize these boxes, which cost around $18-$20 to make. (Coincidentally, Paytm is currently struggling to survive amidst regulatory crackdown.)

The sound-box was created to serve the needs of small Indian merchants who could not afford traditional point-of-sale devices but were able to accept UPI payments. UPI, a payment network established by a group of retail banks in India, has now become the most popular method of transaction for Indians. Last year, it surpassed the combined usage of Visa, Mastercard, and Amex, prompting payment giants to look for ways to take advantage of its reach.

Over time, the sound box has evolved into a profitable subscription model, with various players charging merchants for their subscription services. According to an industry insider, the real appeal of the sound box goes beyond its auditory alerts – it offers valuable insights into merchant behavior, making it easier to offer loans based on this data.

Google Pay is offering the SoundPod at a minimal cost – a one-time fee of $18 for one year, or a one-time fee of $6 and six cents per day for 25 days in a month. The company also announced that merchants who use SoundPod to process 400 payments in a month will receive $1.5 in cashback.

“Being a part of India’s digital payment revolution is a source of great pride for us, as it provides valuable lessons on how digital transformation occurs in tech-forward societies. We are deeply committed to this journey for the long term,” stated Google’s Kenghe.

India’s largest company by market capitalization, Reliance, has also been testing a similar device at its headquarters since last year, as previously reported by TechCrunch. The company confirmed the device’s existence during an earnings call and stated its plans to launch it in the market soon.

Avatar photo
Max Chen

Max Chen is an AI expert and journalist with a focus on the ethical and societal implications of emerging technologies. He has a background in computer science and is known for his clear and concise writing on complex technical topics. He has also written extensively on the potential risks and benefits of AI, and is a frequent speaker on the subject at industry conferences and events.

Articles: 865

118 Comments

  1. hey there and thank you for your info – I have definitely
    picked up something new from right here. I did however
    expertise some technical points using this site, since
    I experienced to reload the site many times previous to I could get it to load properly.
    I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK?

    Not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often affect your placement in google
    and can damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords.
    Anyway I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for much more of your respective fascinating content.
    Ensure that you update this again soon.. Escape room

  2. After I initially left a comment I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I recieve four emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is an easy method you can remove me from that service? Thanks a lot.

  3. Can I just say what a relief to discover somebody that genuinely knows what they are talking about online. You definitely know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people really need to read this and understand this side of the story. I can’t believe you are not more popular because you most certainly possess the gift.

  4. Howdy! This blog post could not be written much better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept talking about this. I am going to forward this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a very good read. Thank you for sharing!

  5. I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and amusing, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something that not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy I found this in my search for something concerning this.

  6. Having read this I thought it was extremely informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this informative article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!

  7. You are so interesting! I don’t believe I have read through something like this before. So nice to find someone with a few genuine thoughts on this issue. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This website is one thing that is required on the internet, someone with some originality.

  8. Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thanks, However I am going through difficulties with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anyone else having identical RSS issues? Anybody who knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanks!

  9. You are so cool! I do not think I’ve truly read a single thing like that before. So nice to find another person with a few unique thoughts on this topic. Really.. many thanks for starting this up. This web site is one thing that is needed on the internet, someone with some originality.

  10. I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I am hoping to view the same high-grade content from you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own site now 😉

  11. The very next time I read a blog, Hopefully it does not disappoint me just as much as this particular one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read through, however I actually thought you would have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you can fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.

  12. Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you so much, However I am going through difficulties with your RSS. I don’t know the reason why I can’t join it. Is there anybody getting similar RSS problems? Anybody who knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanx!

  13. I was more than happy to discover this great site. I want to to thank you for your time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely liked every bit of it and i also have you saved to fav to check out new stuff on your blog.

  14. I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this blog. I am hoping to check out the same high-grade blog posts by you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own, personal site now 😉

  15. When I originally left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I recieve four emails with the exact same comment. Perhaps there is an easy method you are able to remove me from that service? Many thanks.

  16. Having read this I believed it was rather informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this short article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it.

  17. You’ve made some good points there. I looked on the web to find out more about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site.

  18. You have made some really good points there. I checked on the web for additional information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this web site.

  19. Hi there! This article couldn’t be written much better! Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I am going to forward this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a great read. Thanks for sharing!

  20. Can I simply just say what a comfort to discover somebody that actually understands what they are talking about on the web. You actually know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people have to look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular since you surely possess the gift.

  21. After I originally left a comment I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the exact same comment. Is there a way you are able to remove me from that service? Kudos.

  22. Good day! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with SEO?

    I’m trying to get my website to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good gains.

    If you know of any please share. Many thanks! You can read similar blog here: Wool product

  23. Howdy! This article couldn’t be written any better! Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I will send this article to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. I appreciate you for sharing!

  24. I blog often and I genuinely appreciate your content. Your article has truly peaked my interest. I will book mark your blog and keep checking for new details about once a week. I subscribed to your Feed too.

  25. Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon every day. It’s always interesting to read through articles from other authors and practice something from other websites.

  26. Can I simply say what a comfort to find somebody who really understands what they’re discussing on the internet. You definitely understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you are not more popular since you most certainly possess the gift.

  27. Having read this I thought it was really informative. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this informative article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile.

  28. Having read this I thought it was really informative. I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!

  29. After exploring a handful of the blog articles on your site, I really like your way of blogging. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my website too and let me know how you feel.

  30. Hi, I do think your blog could possibly be having web browser compatibility issues. Whenever I take a look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in IE, it’s got some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Besides that, great website.

  31. Right here is the perfect web site for anybody who wants to find out about this topic. You know a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a subject which has been written about for a long time. Wonderful stuff, just excellent.

  32. Hi there! I just want to offer you a huge thumbs up for the excellent information you’ve got right here on this post. I will be returning to your website for more soon.

  33. Howdy! I simply would like to offer you a big thumbs up for the excellent information you have got right here on this post. I am returning to your blog for more soon.

  34. I truly love your site.. Great colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m looking to create my own personal site and want to learn where you got this from or what the theme is named. Many thanks.

  35. Having read this I thought it was extremely informative. I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this information together. I once again find myself spending a significant amount of time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

  36. Hi, I do think this is a great site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may return yet again since I bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.

  37. I blog often and I really appreciate your content. This article has truly peaked my interest. I am going to take a note of your blog and keep checking for new information about once per week. I subscribed to your RSS feed too.

  38. I’m very pleased to discover this great site. I wanted to thank you for your time due to this wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every little bit of it and i also have you book marked to check out new stuff on your blog.

  39. You’re so interesting! I do not think I’ve truly read anything like this before. So good to discover somebody with a few genuine thoughts on this issue. Seriously.. thanks for starting this up. This site is one thing that is needed on the web, someone with a little originality.

  40. I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I really hope to check out the same high-grade content from you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my very own site now 😉

  41. Having read this I thought it was really informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this short article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worth it.

  42. Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It’s always interesting to read content from other writers and use a little something from their websites.

  43. Having read this I thought it was extremely informative. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this information together. I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *