Accepting Google Pay as a business in Israel: in the shop and online, and what you need from your payment provider
How an Israeli business accepts Google Pay: in the shop through a contactless terminal, online through a gateway that supports the button. Fees, Shopify, Apple Pay and Bit, and a checklist.
Part of the guide: How to start an online store: the complete guide, with notes for Israel
Google Pay is a digital wallet on Android phones: customers save their card in it and pay with the phone instead of the card. For the business, a Google Pay transaction is an ordinary card transaction, processed by the same acquirer on the same terms, so there is no separate account to open with Google. In a shop, any terminal that takes contactless payments also takes Google Pay. Online, you need a Google Pay button on the checkout page, and it works only if the gateway that connects your site supports it. Before starting, check with your gateway whether it supports Google Pay, how it is set up, and whether it costs extra.
Google Pay began operating in Israel in December 2021, a few months after Apple Pay, with cards from most banks and card companies. According to Globes, more than 70% of Israelis use Android devices, so it is a wallet most customers can use. How online payments work in general is covered in payment gateways in Israel.
In the shop: a contactless terminal
In a shop the customer holds the phone to the terminal, just like a contactless card. What you need:
- A terminal with NFC and EMV. Most terminals installed in recent years have both. If customers can tap a card on yours, they can pay with Google Pay.
- No separate agreement. The transaction is processed as the card the customer saved, under your existing agreement with the acquirer.
- Security. The real card number is not stored on the phone or passed to the business. A virtual number (a token) with a code that changes every transaction is used instead.
Online: a button through a gateway that supports it
Online, Google Pay appears as a button on the checkout page. The customer taps it, picks a card from the wallet and confirms, and the site receives an encrypted token from Google that goes to the gateway. There are two ways to connect it:
| Through the gateway’s payment page | Direct Google Pay API integration | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | The gateway shows the button on its hosted payment page; you switch it on in settings | The developer adds the button to your own site, and the token is sent to the gateway |
| Fits when | You use the gateway’s ready payment page | Checkout is designed inside your site |
| What it needs | Activation with the gateway, sometimes domain verification | Development, testing, and Google’s approval for production |
| Upkeep | With the gateway | With you or whoever built the site |
The list of supported gateways in Google Pay’s developer documentation includes several Israeli companies, among them CardCom, Tranzila, PayPlus, Z-Credit and iCredit. The list changes, so always check with your own gateway.
A Shopify store
On Shopify, digital wallets are offered through Shopify Payments, which does not operate in Israel. An Israeli store processes through an outside provider, so Google Pay depends on what that provider’s app supports. Check before choosing a provider; Shopify payments are covered in Shopify in Hebrew.
What it costs
Google Pay does not add a fee layer of its own: the transaction is processed as a card payment at your merchant rate. Any extra cost sits with the gateway: some include digital wallets in the subscription, others charge a surcharge or require a particular plan. How processing fees are built and how to compare offers is covered in card processing fees in Israel.
Google Pay, Apple Pay and Bit
| Google Pay | Apple Pay | Bit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | Android phones | iPhone and Apple Watch | Bit app users |
| How it is processed | A card transaction, through the acquirer | A card transaction, through the acquirer | A separate route through the gateway |
| Online | A button, in Chrome and on Android | A button, in Safari and on Apple devices | A button or code, depending on the gateway |
| What to check | Support at your gateway | Support and domain verification | Terms and fees at your gateway |
It usually makes sense to offer all three, because each covers a different group of customers. The buttons appear only for customers whose device and browser support them, so nobody sees a button that will not work for them.
Checklist before switching it on
- In the shop: check that the terminal takes contactless, and pay with Google Pay once.
- Online: ask your gateway whether it supports Google Pay, on its payment page or by direct integration.
- Find out whether wallets carry a surcharge or need a special plan.
- Run a test transaction on an Android phone, including a cancellation and a refund.
- Check that the invoice and post-purchase email go out for wallet payments too.
- Show the button next to the other payment options, not somewhere customers have to look for it.
In the stores we build
At Libra we build stores and product pages with payments connected, including digital wallets where the gateway supports them, described on websites, landing pages and stores. The VÉREL launch page, for a fictional watch, and the OVELLE store, for a fictional jewellery house, show a buy module inside the page. Send a brief with your platform and gateway, and we reply by email with a direction, a written price and a date.
No term matches.
Questions
How does a business accept Google Pay?
In a shop, through any terminal that takes contactless (NFC) payments. Online, through a Google Pay button on checkout, which works only if the gateway connecting the site supports it. The transaction is processed as an ordinary card payment.
Do I need a business account with Google to accept Google Pay?
Not in a shop: the transaction goes through your existing acquirer. Online, if you integrate the button directly with the Google Pay API, you register the site and get Google’s approval for production. Through the gateway’s payment page, activation happens with the gateway.
What does accepting Google Pay cost?
The transaction is processed at your normal merchant rate. Some gateways charge a surcharge for digital wallets or require a particular plan, so ask yours.
Which Israeli gateways support Google Pay online?
Google Pay’s developer documentation lists several Israeli companies, among them CardCom, Tranzila, PayPlus, Z-Credit and iCredit. The list changes, so check with your own gateway.
Can a Shopify store in Israel accept Google Pay?
Shopify offers digital wallets through Shopify Payments, which does not operate in Israel. An Israeli store processes through an outside provider, and Google Pay depends on what that provider’s app supports.
Getting started
Want this for your business?
Send a short brief: three required questions, the rest only if you like. We reply by email with a direction, a written price and a date.
