Gmail users will now be able to send money to friends and family over email, as Google rolls out a new feature to its services in the UK.
The service, which launched in the US in May 2013, is based on Google Wallet – a free mobile payment system that stores a user’s debit cards, credit cards, loyalty cards and gift cards on their digital device.
Google account holders can transfer money from their own Wallet to a contact’s Wallet by hovering over the attachment paperclip in Gmail, clicking the £ icon, entering the amount, and pressing send.
The transfer works even if the recipient does not have a Gmail address. However, when they receive money for the first time, they will need to create a Google Wallet and link it to their bank account in order to claim the cash.
Once the money is in their Wallet, they can keep it for sending later, spend it on Google Play, or transfer it to their bank account.
“Paying back your friends has never been so simple, whether you’re chipping in for lunch or reimbursing your housemate for your share of the rent,” said Travis Green, product manager for Google Wallet.
Google is rolling out the new feature over the coming weeks to all UK Gmail users over 18 years old.