5 hidden Google Pay features you probably didn’t know about

You don’t need a separate app to split bills

Google Pay has a built-in feature to split bills with friends and family. You can create a group, add people, and the app keeps track of who has paid and who hasn’t—making it easier to track the money you spent on your last trip. I used it for a dinner outing recently, and it made life a lot easier.

Tap on New Payment > New Group, add everyone involved and enter the amount to split.

Google Pay is available on both Android and iOS platforms (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

Scratch the cards for rewards

Not every payment on Google Pay gives you a reward, but some transactions unlock unique scratch cards—especially when you make a utility payment such as a phone recharge or electricity bill. These scratch cards often offer cashback or product discount coupons from partner brands.

Check the Rewards section to find all of your scratch cards, including the special ones.

Autopay for your favourite subscriptions

Hate remembering payment dates for your favourite subscriptions? You can simply pay and subscribe via Google Pay, without the hassle of remembering renewal dates. It supports all the major apps like JioCinema, Netflix, Spotify, YouTube Premium, Google One Cloud, and more.

Click on your profile picture in the top right corner and select the Autopay option to manage all your subscriptions.

Check bank balance without logging into net banking

You can check your linked bank account balance directly from Google Pay without logging into your banking app or website. It’s a small feature, but surprisingly useful when you just want to confirm funds before making a payment.

Tap on your bank account from the Payment Methods section, then select View Account Balance. Enter your UPI PIN, and you’ll get the balance instantly.

Add a note to your transaction

You can add custom notes or labels to your payments to keep track of why you made a transaction—useful for budgeting, taxes, or business reimbursements. This helps you remember all your payments and their reasons. Just enter a custom text before sending the money, which could be as simple as an emoji.