Google Pay Rewards: Ideas and Opinions

Google Pay, also known as GPay, is Google's digital wallet and online payment system. In India, GPay leverages the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). GPay is known for its speed, ease of use, and the inherent trust users place in Google for a payment service. However, over time, the "Rewards" program on Google Pay has become less exciting, often feeling unrewarding. We'll note down our thoughts and suggestions in this post.

Table of Contents

• Google Pay rewards
• Rewards Bazaar — The Problem
• Suggestions and Solution

Google Pay rewards

Users on Google Pay can earn rewards through various actions such as: a) regularly transacting with individuals and merchants, b) completing specific tasks, or c) reaching certain milestones. One of the earliest and most popular rewards has been the "Referral reward," awarded for inviting new users to join GPay. The rewards generally come in the form of special offers or cashback.

Rewards Bazaar — The Problem

Over time, as users become regular Google Pay users, cash rewards often become rare or even nonexistent. The Rewards section increasingly fills up with promotional offers, transforming it into what feels like a digital marketplace. These promotional offers (or vouchers) themselves are often quite ordinary. This diminishes the appeal of the "rewards" experience.

Today, we scratched a bunch of Google Pay reward cards, and the rewards look like—

Google Pay Rewards are filled with promotional vouchers.

Suggestions and Solution

We suggest the following changes to Google Pay's reward system:

Allow Users to Stop or Pause Promotional Vouchers: While these vouchers might generate revenue for Google, it's important to give users the options to opt out of or temporarily pause the promotional offers. This respects user preferences and prevents the "Rewards" section from feeling like unwanted.

Opt-in/Opt-out for Offer Categories: Instead of a flood of generic offers, users might be given option to select specific categories of offers they are interested in. This would ensure they only find promotions relevant to their needs.

Prioritise Uniqueness in Rewards: The excitement of a reward significantly diminishes if the same (or a better) offer is easily available on other platforms. Google Pay rewards should offer something distinctly unique or exceptionally appealing to create a sense of exclusivity.

[Special suggestion] Integrating Google's Own Services for Enhanced Value: On ​Google Pay, there are cash rewards and third-party vouchers. We suggest an integration of Google's own services into the "Rewards" program. This could transform the rewards from mere discounts into tangible, value-added benefits that are directly linked to the Google ecosystem. These rewards might include—

• Google Storage: Offering "1 GB Google storage" (general reward) or "5 GB Google storage" (special reward). These could be activated via a unique code and can be added to the user's Google account, providing immediate and practical value.
• YouTube Premium: A reward of "1 month of YouTube Premium" could be highly attractive, introducing users to ad-free viewing and other premium features, thereby encouraging greater engagement with Google's services.

We anticipate that these integrations would not only improve user satisfaction by delivering more personalised and valuable rewards but also reinforce the integration of Google Pay within the broader Google ecosystem.