Google Play now takes Venmo in the US

Anyone buying apps, games, add-ons or other digital content on Google Play in the United States has one more way to pay from today: Venmo. "Venmo is now available as a payment option on Google Play, giving you more flexibility at checkout," Google's announcement says, adding that "starting today, you can link your Venmo account to the Google Play Store to bring the digital wallet you already trust to the apps, games and digital content you love most."

Linking happens in the Play app, under Payments & subscriptions > Payment methods. Once the account is connected, the wallet works across Google's services, including YouTube. Money can come out of the Venmo balance itself or out of the bank accounts and cards linked to it, and the same option covers subscriptions and creator tips inside content apps.

Venmo joins Cash App Pay and PayPal as a third-party option on the Play Store, alongside American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover and JCB cards in the US. It is a US-based service owned by PayPal, built around sending money to other people and spending it through a virtual Mastercard-based debit card. Android Authority reports the option already showed up for some of its staff late last week, ahead of the wide rollout Google is announcing now.

The recent Play Store change that did reach Europe is a different one. Google opened the store to outside billing in the US, the UK and Europe as part of its settlement with Epic Games, and some of those alternative payment routes may not accept Venmo.

Outside the US, Google has introduced Pending Transactions, which lets Android users in supported markets pay for digital purchases with cash, a bank transfer or direct debit, and Google says the purchase can arrive within about 10 minutes of payment, although its terms allow processing to take up to 48 hours. Refunds there come back as Play credit, not cash. Google has also pushed e-wallets, UPI in India and carrier billing, which it says more than 170 carriers now support worldwide.

The money involved is not small. Analytics firm Sensor Tower put 2025 user spend on in-app purchases across iOS and the Play Store at over $167 billion, up 10.6% year-on-year.