You can now send and receive money through Gmail app for Android

For some time now, you could send money through Google Wallet on Gmail as long as it was on the web version. Well, now the feature is available on the Gmail app for Android: if you’re in the US or the UK, you can send, request, and receive money for free as a Gmail attachment.

There are a lot of online payment transfer apps out there: from PayPal to social media companies like Facebook and Snap, companies know that digital payment sharing is growing. While PayPal and its millennial-oriented Venmo app dominate the market, it doesn’t mean we can’t have one more option. Google has now integrated Google Wallet into Gmail for Android, so you can share payments as email attachments even if the receiver doesn’t have a Gmail account.

The process is simple enough: just open your Gmail app on your Android device, click the Compose button as you would when writing an email, enter the address of the recipient, and click the $ icon. If you have a Google Wallet account, you are all set to send or request money, but if you don’t, you’ll be prompted to make one. After specifying the amount, click Attach, and then Send. Voila. To receive money, open up the email with the transfer attachment and simply click Claim money.

Note that US and UK users can use this feature for free as long as you are using your Google Wallet Balance or debit card. US users can also link their bank account directly to Google Wallet for free similar to PayPal and Venmo. So next time you find yourself in a conundrum of splitting a bill into 18 people at a restaurant, this feature might come in handy. But then again, Gmail money transfers work exclusively on Android and the web, so maybe not.

Which payment sharing app do you use? How much do you rely on these apps? Let us know by leaving a comment below!