Google’s digital wallet app is suddenly super popular, probably because the company is giving away money.
At one point on Wednesday, Google Pay was the most downloaded app on Apple’s App Store, above TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, according to app analytics company Sensor Tower. This is the first time that Google Pay has reached the number one spot based on Sensor Tower tracking.
On November 17, Sensor Tower reported 200 installations. The next day, Google Pay got a major redesign, a new logo and features such as cash back rewards and group payments. It became 50 times more popular with 10,000 installations on November 18 alone.
Since the major update, Google Pay has achieved 316,000 downloads in the App Store, compared to 8,000 in the same period last year.
While the redesign helped, the app hit new heights when it increased its referral rates this week.
As 9to5 Google reported on Wednesday, Google Pay is now giving users $ 21 for signing up a new user who spends more than $ 10 on the app. The new user will also receive $ 21.
The payout to both users was previously $ 5. You can refer up to three people – at least until December 31, when the deal ends.
According to Sensor Tower, Google Pay was installed 410,000 times from the App Store in 2020. Last year, that number was only 82,000.