Is Google Tez latest update better then Paytm? - Google Tez New update with chat feature

Google has integrated a chat option in the Google Tez application and is slowly rolling it out to its 13.5 million active users, taking the competition directly to WhatsApp that is piloting its payment product in India. After offering a tough competition to the incumbents, Google Tez is set to up its game by introducing a new feature. Aiming to take on payments-cum-chat apps, Google is rolling out the chat feature on its Tez payments app. The gradual roll-out of the chat feature on Google Tez will compete with the likes of Paytm that recently introduced its inbox chat feature and WhatsApp that is slowly rolling out its UPI-enabled payments service.

A Google spokesperson confirmed the release of a chat feature on the Tez app. "We've added a feature to Tez that allows you to send simple messages back and forth to your contacts about the payments you make," the spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Gadgets 360. Although the feature isn't available to all Google Tez users and is initially rolling out at a slow pace, it is only accessible if both parties are running the latest version of the Tez app on their mobile devices. We were not able to see the feature.

The Google Tez chat feature is gradually rolling out, so it is possible that while some users may have received it, others can’t see this option in Tez app. The chat feature had been added next to pay and request options in the payments conversation thread. Tapping on it will allow the contacts to exchange messages about the contacts to exchange messages about the payments, or to have just a regular conversation. The users can also block a contact.

The introduction of this feature marks the launch of another messaging service by Google, though this it’s more India-centric as the availability of Google Tez is limited to the country alone. This seems necessary too, as two of its biggest rivals WhatsApp and Paytm offer similar services to a larger share of users. Paytm already enjoys a huge user base in India and with the launch of its Inbox feature, the company gave a new chat platform to the users. WhatsApp, on the other hand, boasts of over 200 million monthly active users in India, which is a major portion of the population that owns smartphones in India. It recently began rolling out it's payment service that is powered by Unified Payments Interface, or UPI service.