To pay at points of sale, users hold their authenticated device to the point of sale system. Users can add payment cards to the service by taking a photo of the card, or by entering the card information manually.

Google Pay requires that a screen lock be set on the phone or watch. Instead, it generates a virtual account number representing the user's account information. When the user makes a payment to a merchant, Google Pay does not send the actual payment card number. The service lets Android devices wirelessly communicate with point of sale systems using a near field communication (NFC) antenna and host-based card emulation (HCE). It is similar to contactless payments already used in many countries, with the addition of two-factor authentication. It replaces the credit or debit card chip and PIN or magnetic stripe transaction at point-of-sale terminals by allowing the user to upload these in Google Wallet.

Google Pay uses near-field communication (NFC) to transmit card information facilitating funds transfer to the retailer.

Apple pay vs google pay