Google shuts down GPay app and P2P payments in the US

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Product changes & scope

  • Thread clarifies that the shutdown affects Google’s US peer‑to‑peer (P2P) payments, not tap‑to‑pay at terminals.
  • Tap‑to‑pay and card management are handled by Google Wallet (plus OS‑level components) and continue to work.
  • GPay had been used for P2P transfers and some online checkout; those P2P features are being retired in the US.
  • In India and Singapore, Google Pay remains a much richer, active P2P platform.

Branding and UX confusion

  • Many commenters describe long‑running confusion: Android Pay → Google Pay → Google Wallet, plus multiple “Wallet” and “Google Pay” variants over time.
  • Some report adding cards via “Google Pay” historically and now being told to use “Wallet,” with overlapping web UIs (wallet.google.com, payments.google.com) and different balances (Google Pay vs Google Play).
  • Several see this as emblematic of Google’s product “ADHD” and siloed teams.

Comparisons with Apple & other markets

  • Apple’s P2P via Apple Cash has existed for years; the new “tap two iPhones to pay” feature is discussed as just a new initiation channel, not a new system.
  • Some predict Google will relaunch P2P under yet another brand once Apple’s marketing proves demand; others argue it may not be worth the cost.
  • Multiple comments highlight that other regions (EU SEPA, UK Faster Payments, Canada Interac, India UPI, Australia NPP, Ukraine card‑to‑card) already offer simple, bank‑level P2P, making US dependence on private apps look backward.

Regulation, business model, and interoperability

  • P2P is described as low‑margin and support‑heavy, with high regulatory and anti‑fraud overhead. Some speculate Google wants to avoid this scrutiny.
  • Users lament app silos (Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, etc.) and the inability to send money across them, attributing it to lock‑in and profit motives rather than technical limits.
  • FedNow is mentioned as an emerging US “SEPA‑like” instant payment rail that might eventually reduce the need for private P2P networks.

User trust and Google’s product strategy

  • Frequent shutdowns and rebrands (GPay, Fit API, GSuite free tier, Google One changes) are said to erode trust and deter adoption of new Google services, including AI offerings.
  • Some call for explicit long‑term support commitments or “beta” labeling for new consumer products.
  • Others note that paid enterprise products (Google Cloud, Workspace) do have formal deprecation windows.

Anecdotes and edge cases

  • Individual reports include locked funds, large negative balances assumed to be written off, loss of a Google Fi number cascading into loss of a Google account, and migration fatigue leading some to “ungoogle” their lives or favor simpler, bank‑native solutions or even cryptocurrencies.