You might have seen Paytm or PhonePe sound boxes but not Google.
Back in 2023, Google had introduced its SoundPod.
Google is ready to push it out in the market and will be available to merchants.
I feel that Google Pay and Paytm are two of India’s biggest used finance apps. Every time we need to make even the smallest payments, we look out for these apps. Isn’t that so? After we made the payments, the sound boxes kept with the merchant announcing that our payments had been successful. Paytm has even incorporated Mr. Amitabh Bacchans’s voice, I really find it amusing.
You might have seen Paytm or PhonePe sound boxes but not Google. Well, Google has arrived at a solution of its own to fill up that gap. Back in 2023, Google had introduced its SoundPod. It was released as a limited pilot but now Google is ready to push it out in the market and will be available to merchants as confirmed by Google itself.
Also read: Google Pay lets you activate UPI using Aadhaar: Here’s how it works
Ambarish Kenghe, Vice President of Products at Google, said in a blog post, “We’re pleased to announce SoundPods will be available for small merchants across India over the coming months, bringing considerable ease and convenience to millions of SMBs.”
This is a part of Google’s bigger financial plans of promoting UPI not only in India but also in other countries. Kenghe said in the same blog post, “UPI’s hallmark of seamless interoperability between all elements of the financial system has redefined possibilities not just for India, but equally for the world. In January, we announced a collaboration with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) to make UPI payments possible from outside India and to facilitate the adoption of UPI-like frameworks in countries beyond India.”
Google SoundPod plans and prices
Google’s sound box comes with two plans; Daily Plan and Yearly Plan. Now here are the prices for both of them:
- For the Daily Plan, merchants have to pay a ₹499 one-time fee for the sound box. Apart from that, ₹5 per day will be deducted for 25 days in a month from your settlement account.
- For the Yearly Plan, you just have to pay ₹1,499 in total for one year.
Also read: You can now link Google Pay to your RuPay card: Here’s how
UPI and digital payments have grown substantially in recent years and the companies, banks, and the government are pushing it even more.
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Mustafa Khan
Mustafa is new on the block and is a tech geek who is currently working with Digit as a News Writer. He tests the new gadgets that come on board and writes for the news desk. He has found his way with words and you can count on him when in need of tech advice. No judgement. He is based out of Delhi, he’s your person for good photos, good food recommendations, and to know about anything GenZ. View Full Profile
