Google Wallet launches snazzy new web app for desktop and mobile

Google keeps up with Wallet, which is great for everyone.

Though Android Pay has taken the spotlight as of late for in-store NFC payments and online purchases, Google Wallet lives on for person-to-person money transfers in a market filled with alternatives like Square Cash, Venmo and PayPal. Though the Google Wallet app is of course still available for Android and iOS, Google announced a fresh launch of the Google Wallet website, giving the service its own defined place as Android Pay continues to expand.

Google Wallet website on a computer

Google Wallet website on mobile

Android Pay's launch kind of cast a shadow over Google Wallet until today.

The new Google Wallet web interface actually closely mimics the experience you find in the native Android app, though you don't get the added benefits of faster performance, quick log-in via PIN code or notifications. More importantly this is a fresh experience for when you want to send or receive money via Google Wallet on the web (perhaps when you don't have your phone nearby). That function had been in limbo since the introduction of Android Pay, leaving you to only be able to send and receive money via the mobile apps and within Gmail.

The launch of the new website coincides with a smaller (and less flashy) redesign of the Google Payments web portal, where you'll still find your payment and order history for properties like the Google Play Store, Google Store, Project Fi and subscriptions like Google Play Music.

The separation of Google Wallet from Android Pay and Google Payments makes sense considering their completely different mission and use, and thankfully now Google Wallet has a definitive place to live on both your phone and the web. Wallet is of course still free to send and receive money if you use your bank account.