You can now send and request money with Google Assistant

Google on Friday announced the integration of Google Assistant on its payment app Pay. Google Pay users in the US would be able to send or request money from the contacts on their Android device or iPhone just by giving Google Assistant a voice command that starts with "Hey Google".

"You can ask your Google Assistant to pay your friends back with Google Pay. You can easily send or request money from your contacts for free - using the Assistant on Android and iOS phones in the US," Sam Kansara, Product Manager, Google Pay, wrote in a blog post late on Thursday.

"To get started, just say 'Hey Google, request $20 from Sam for the show tonight' or 'Hey Google, send Jane $15 for lunch today' and let your Google Assistant do the rest," Kansara added.

Users who do not have a Google Pay account would be prompted to set one up the first time they want to send money. Google said that in the coming months, users will be able to send money on voice-activated speakers like Google Home as well. Transactions made via Google Assistant would require authentication beyond just your voiceprint to send money, either with their Google password or fingerprint, according to a report by The Verge.

The tech giant has not made clear if this feature would be rolled to other countries. In India, Google's payment service works via its app Tez. Launched last year, Google Tez offers users with different payment options including UPI. With Google Tez operating in India it seems unlikely that Google Pay would be introduced here.

Meanwhile, Facebook-owned WhatsApp is also testing a new payments feature in India that aims to allow people to send money to their friends on the app.

The feature is currently in beta, but has not been publicly announced because it is not widely available at this time. WhatsApp's payment service is based on the United Payment Interface (UPI).