Google today launched Google Payments, a new online checkout service for PC and mobile.

“Starting today you can now speed through online checkout on many of your favorite apps and websites with a few quick clicks,” Google vice president Pali Bhat writes. “When you pay with Google, you can use any of the credit or debit cards you’ve added to your Google account. Google sends the merchant your payment info and shipping address using the information from your account, no typing required. Then, the merchant will handle all the details just like any other purchase.”

Google Payments works in apps and on the web in Android and on the web on PC/Mac. The idea here is that you’ve associated various payment methods with your Google account—through Android Pay or one of Google’s web services—and can then use that information to complete purchases more quickly at participating e-retailers.

That “participating” bit is the rub, I suspect. Google is touting a number of high-profile retailer partners who have signed-on for Google Payments, though most of them are apparently restaurants and/or food delivery services or travel-related businesses like AirBNB and Kayak. Google has also partnered with a few payment providers, though it promises more soon.

What’s unclear is how widespread Google Payments available is at launch: The Google blog post notes services from the U.S. and UK, but doesn’t specify where this service works exactly. But the APIs behind Google Payments are available globally, so it’s possible that the service is launching globally too.

Also, Google Payments requires Chrome on PC/Mac (and mobile) for now, but Google says it is working to bring this service to other web browsers too.

Tagged with Android Pay, Google Payments