
Thankfully, all that confusion is now in the past. (Google is moving toward downplaying the Android brand in favor of its own corporate moniker.) Along the way, we also saw Pay with Google, and an experimental payment app called Hands Free. Then that feature was removed and transferred to Android Pay. First, there was Google Wallet, which also let you pay stores using NFC technology, Apple Pay. Google's payment app strategy has been something of a moving target over the past few years. It's our Editors' Choice for mobile payment apps. The only question you need to ask is, "Do I mind connecting yet another part of my life to Google?" If the answer is no, you'll be well-served by this easy-to-use, full-featured payment app. Venmo, PayPal, Square Cash, and Zelle don’t. Google Pay offers both NFC payment at tons of venues and smart watch support, as Apple's and Samsung's services do.

The app works on iOS as well as Android and the web, so it has broader appeal than both Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. This one app handles all your transactions, instead of forcing you to use Google Pay Send for paying people and Android Pay for NFC. Since our last review, Google has combined its in-store, online, and person-to-person payment apps into a single offering called Google Pay.

