Person paying with their Visa card through Google Pay. (Credit: Visa website.)
It's finally done. Since June 24, Lebanese people can now use Google Pay — the digital wallet and payment system by the American giant Google — using their smartphones or smartwatches instead of doing so through their bank cards or digital wallets. Lebanon thus becomes the 150th country worldwide where this service is available.
Already widespread globally, this payment mechanism allows users to make online payments through apps and in-store, using debit or credit cards saved on their Google accounts, wherever contactless options are accepted. As for Lebanon, Google Pay allows the registration of cards issued by international companies Visa and Mastercard.
However, Apple Pay, a subsidiary of the American giant Apple and a competitor of Google Pay in this sector, has yet to launch its service in Lebanon.
According to available estimates, Lebanese users with Android smartphones compatible with Google Pay account for about 80% of mobile phone users, the rest being Apple smartphone users.
Mario Makary, vice president and regional director for the Middle East at Visa, stated in a press release that "this launch represents an important step towards secure, convenient, and globally recognized payment experiences. Lebanon thus joins a growing list of markets, including Jordan, where we actively promote the transition to mobile-centered solutions, confirming our commitment to the future of payments throughout the Levant region."
Upcoming integration of other banks
According to the information available on Google's website, Areeba, Bank Audi, BLOM Bank, and the Banque Libano-Française (BLF) are the first four Lebanese entities allowing the integration of their Visa and Mastercard payment cards on this platform.
On June 25, the Lebanese money transfer company Whish Money, which also owns a digital wallet, announced that the cards it issues can now also be integrated on Google Pay. However, this information is not confirmed on Google's website.
"Some Lebanese banks were already technically ready to ensure this integration and have therefore done so, while others are preparing to do so soon," says a banker familiar with the matter. "Other banks in Lebanon will be gradually integrated in the coming weeks," confirms Visa in its press release.
"This initiative responds to a strong demand for digital payments in Lebanon, offering residents and tourists the convenience of contactless mobile payments," the company continues.
According to Visa, "Lebanon has over 5.3 million internet users [with a penetration rate of 91.6%] and about 4.7 million mobile internet subscriptions, more than 80% of the population." The company also indicates that "Lebanese consumers [with a smartphone usage rate also equivalent to 80%] are particularly well-positioned to adopt mobile device payment solutions, like Google Pay." "It is rather the young people who would be the first adopters of this payment method, with the rest of the population possibly following gradually," estimates the aforementioned banker.
The introduction of Google Pay in the Lebanese market comes at a time when the country is urged by the international community to reduce its cash economy, which has developed since the onset of the economic crisis in 2019, complicating the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. As a result, Lebanon was listed in October 2024 on the gray list of the FATF, the Financial Action Task Force.
'American sponsorship is a guarantee,' says Lebanese-American coordination committee