Google Pay coming to Bangladesh next week

Bangladeshis are set to get the much-awaited official access to Google's digital payment services without depending on workarounds from next week.

City Bank has announced that it, in partnership with global payment giants Mastercard and Visa,  is set to launch Google Wallet at the Westin Dhaka hotel on 24 June.

Once launched, customers will be able to use Google Pay to enjoy seamless payment services offered by Google, ensuring secure, tap-and-go purchases using their smartphones at any contactless terminal.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur will attend the event as the chief guest, City Bank said in an invitation letter, seen by The Business Standard, to join the event.

Tracey Ann Jacobson, chargé d'affaires at US Embassy Dhaka, and Hossain Khaled, vice chairman at City Bank, will also attend the event.

TBS, citing fintech industry sources, earlier reported on 28 May that Google was preparing to launch Google Wallet in Bangladesh within the next month.

Once the digital service is rolled out, Android smartphones will soon serve as fully functional wallets, eliminating the need to carry cards, often referred to as "plastic money". From air travel to shopping and cinema, mobile phones will become the gateway to a wide array of contactless transactions, fundamentally reshaping the way Bangladeshis pay.

Initially, only cardholders of City Bank will be able to link their Visa and Mastercard accounts, including Bangladesh currency cards, to Google Wallet and pay using Android phones at any terminal that supports NFC (Near Field Communication) payments, TBS reported last month.

Industry insiders confirmed that the service will be expanded gradually to include customers of other banks in the country.

The integration marks a significant step towards digitising financial transactions in Bangladesh. Until now, Google Wallet has not been available locally due to the lack of integration with the country's banking infrastructure.

While the demand for NFC-enabled payments has grown rapidly – especially among tech-savvy urban users – Bangladesh's regulatory and banking ecosystem has trailed behind.

India stands as a regional benchmark in digital payments, with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) accounting for a staggering 93% of all digital transactions by volume and 92% by value as of December 2024. Of that, Google Pay alone commands 51% of the transaction value and 37% of the total number of transactions, highlighting the platform's deep penetration into South Asia's largest digital economy.

This regional momentum is not limited to India. On 12 March 2025, Pakistan joined the list of countries where Google Pay is officially operational. While transaction data from Pakistan remains limited, the rollout marks a significant step forward in the country's shift toward digital financial services.

Beyond South Asia, Google Pay has already gained ground across Southeast Asia, with availability in countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Will Google charge for transactions?

Google Wallet generally does not charge users for basic transactions such as in-store purchases, online payments, or peer-to-peer transfers when using a linked bank account or debit card. However, cardholder banks may impose fees based on their individual policies, the type of card, and the nature of the transaction.

For example, if a payment is processed through an international gateway or involves a foreign currency, banks may levy a foreign transaction fee, typically ranging from 1% to 3%. 

For local transactions within Bangladesh, such charges are unlikely – unless Google routes the payment through international servers, industry insiders told TBS last month.