Gmail Brings Google Wallet Online Payments To The UK

British Gmail users can now send money to each other using Google’s mail service.

The search giant has announced it is expanding the reach of Google Wallet’s integration with Gmail, meaning that people in the UK will now be able to quickly and securely send money to friends and family in the UK directly within desktop Gmail – even if the recipient doesn’t have a Gmail address.

The free service will be seamlessly integrated into Gmail, with users imply needing to click the £ icon to attach money to their message, enter the amount you wish to send, and press send.

Users can also request money in Gmail by hovering over the attachment paperclip and clicking the £ icon to attach the request to a Gmail message.

Cashed in

First-time users will need to set up a Google Wallet Balance account linked to their debit card or bank account to receive their money. After that, money can be kept in your Wallet Balance for future sending, spending, or moving to your bank account.

The feature will be rolled out to all UK Gmail users over 18 years old in the coming weeks, with the £ icon making an appearance in the attachment options space.

“Since we announced Send Money in Gmail, paying back your friends has never been so simple, whether you’re chipping in for lunch or reimbursing your housemate for your share of the rent. Today, we’re excited to make this feature available for Gmail users in the UK,” Travis Green, Google Wallet product manager, wrote in a blog post announcing the news.

The feature first appeared in May 2013 for American users, and seems to again suggest that Google is ramping up its activities in the online payments market. Reports last week suggested the company was preparing a bid for leading payments provider Softcard as it looks to expand the capabilities of Google Wallet and take on the likes of Apple Pay.

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