Google Pay starts charging fees on mobile recharges
When recharging a mobile phone through the UPI feature of the Google Pay app, users now have to pay an additional Rs 3. Prepaid plan purchases made using Google Pay now incur a fee; this is a departure from the app’s previous practice of not assessing additional fees for such transactions. With this latest measure, Google Pay now resembles other payment services like PhonePe and Paytm, which already charge for comparable transactions.
Google Pay Starts Charging for Mobile Recharge Plans: Details and Pricing Breakdown Revealed by Tipster Mukul Sharma
Google has not officially announced the addition of convenience fees on its payment app, although this changed. People became aware of this modification when a user posted a screenshot online that showed a Rs. 3 convenience fee that was part of a Rs. 749 Jio prepaid recharge package. There is a cost for both card and UPI transactions, as per reports.
Tipster Mukul Sharma offered more information on Twitter, pointing out that there will be no convenience fee for recharge plans under Rs. 100. However, there would be fees of Rs. 2 and Rs. 3, respectively, for plans priced between Rs. 100 and Rs. 200 and Rs. 200 and Rs. 300. There will be a Rs. 3 convenience fee on transactions over Rs. 300.
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Google has made reference to the new convenience fees in an update to its terms of service for Indian users. Is this addition a part of the November 10 update, though, is still a mystery. Users will receive information about any applicable costs before completing a transaction, according to the terms. Additionally included in the agreements is the company’s choice over how much to charge.
It’s interesting to note that, despite the revised terms, on Thursday when we tried to purchase Jio and Airtel recharge plans via Google Pay, we did not incur any additional fees when we recharged a number. It appears that the only way to get around these convenience costs could be to buy recharge plans straight from the operator’s website.
The goal of other payment service providers like Paytm and PhonePe, which want to monetize their platforms by charging for transactions, is what Google Pay’s policy change is in line with. A number of internet services have started charging for similar services, such as ordering takeout or making movie ticket reservations.