Google Assistant on the verge of launching payments feature

Google Assistant, the intelligent personal assistant integrated into Google Home, the Allo app, Google Pixel and Android Wear, looks set to follow through on its December 2016 tease of offering a  payments service as part of its tool suite.

There had been rumours of Google developing the function for its assistant circulating for months, but the first physical evidence of the development appeared on Wednesday night, when some Google Pixel owners discovered the new setting allowing them to enter credit card and address information for future purchases.

The upgrade was not present on Tuesday when the beta of version 6.13 of the app began rolling out.

There is currently no actual way of making payments using the Google Assistant function, but with the development clearly so much further advanced that had previously been thought, it will surely not be long before third party developers are given access to the function, which will quickly make payments possible.

Opening the new payments function brings you to a page that gives you the option of entering payment and delivery info, including a tutorial. Users have to agree to the Google Payments terms and conditions, and in addition to the terms of Google’s home delivery service Google Express.

Related reading