Google Pay recently added a virtual card that lets you pay with your wallet balance at NFC terminals. It appears the virtual “Google Pay Balance Card” is now rolling out widely to users in the US.

If you’re a Google Pay user, you should see a new banner that says “Set up your Google Pay balance for contactless payments and more” under the “Balance” section in the app. Tapping it will take you through the setup process, including a few terms & conditions pages. The app will then require you to set a PIN for the virtual card and you’re all set. The virtual Google Pay Balance Card is now ready for use. You can access it from the Google Pay payment method picker for NFC payments, alongside other cards.

The Google Pay virtual card starts appearing for users

This virtual card is a major new addition to Google Pay. It lets you spend your wallet balance pretty much everywhere. Earlier, the options were limited. You could either transfer the money to someone else’s Google Pay wallet, deposit it in a bank account, pay for certain online purchases, or use it for purchases in the Google Play Store or Google hardware stores.

But with the new update, you can now use your Google Pay wallet balance at all POS (point of sale) terminals that support NFC payments. That means virtually everywhere and for everything – gas, groceries, dining, and more. You’ll have limitless options to spend your wallet balance once you’ve set up the virtual card. If you’re not seeing the aforementioned banner as yet, do not worry. It should show up soon as Google expands the rollout throughout the country. The company says it will be available to all eligible Android users over the next few weeks.

Note that your Android smartphone must support NFC for this to work. Almost every Android flagship does come with an NFC chip but some lower-cost models may not include it. You can check if your phone has it simply by searching for “NFC” or “Near Field Communication” in the Settings app. You’ll also find some third-party apps in the Google Play Store that will do the job for you.

For the uninitiated, Google Pay got a complete revamp earlier this year. As of June 15, 2021, you can no longer send, request, receive, claim, or withdraw money with the old app. So make sure you have the new version installed on your phone (click the link below).

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