Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: Reuters

Bangladesh is about to receive official access to Google’s digital payment services, ending the need for workarounds. City Bank, in collaboration with global payment giants Mastercard and Visa, will officially launch Google Wallet on June 24 at the Westin Dhaka hotel.

Once launched, customers will be able to use Google Pay to make secure, tap-and-go payments through their smartphones at any contactless terminal. This development is expected to transform how people make payments, making it easy to shop, travel, and do other transactions without the need for physical cards.

The Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Ahsan H Mansur, will attend the launch event as the chief guest, along with Tracey Ann Jacobson, chargé d'affaires at the U.S.

Embassy in Dhaka, and Hossain Khaled, the vice chairman of City Bank.Google Wallet will allow Android smartphone users to store their payment details, which will act as digital wallets. Initially, City Bank cardholders with Visa and Mastercard accounts, including local currency cards, will be able to link their cards to Google Wallet and use them for NFC (Near Field Communication) payments. Over time, the service will be expanded to customers of other banks.

This marks a major step in Bangladesh's progress toward digital payments. Until now, Google Wallet was not available in the country due to technical integration issues with the local banking system. However, this launch will make mobile phones the main tool for contactless transactions, just like in other parts of the world where Google Pay is already a popular payment method.

Countries like India, which have embraced digital payments, serve as a model for Bangladesh. Google Pay has gained significant traction in India, accounting for a substantial share of the country’s digital transactions. As a result, there is growing hope for Google Wallet’s success in Bangladesh.

Google Wallet typically does not charge for standard transactions, such as in-store purchases, online payments, or peer-to-peer transfers, when linked to a bank account or debit card. However, banks may charge fees for certain transactions, particularly when international payments are involved. For local payments within Bangladesh, these extra charges are expected to be minimal, unless international servers are used for processing.

This launch represents a leap forward in the country's efforts to modernize financial transactions and give more people access to digital payment options.