PayPal has begun rolling out a new update to their mobile apps with both Android and iOS receiving the update. As well as a visual redesign, the update brings more focus to sending and receiving payments to both individuals and paying for things in-store.
Of course, the big focus is the visual redesign – it’s certainly not really a Material Design update, but it’s not, not an Android specific update. It’s a new look and whether they depart from the visual look for each platform down the track, we’ll have to wait and see.
The focus on mobile payments is understandable, with a quarter of PayPal transactions now made on mobile, and research suggests 1/3 of online transactions in 2016 will be made on mobile. The improvements to the visual design are aimed at making things simpler, with a modern look letting you manage your money more easily.
With over 100% growth in peer-to-peer transactions in the last two years, PayPal is focusing on making this feature easier. The new personalisation hub lets you add people directly from your address book, allowing you to pay or request payments from friends easily. You also now have quicker access to contacts you send money to on a regular basis.
Peer-to-peer payments aren’t the only thing that’s easier, with PayPal also focusing on in-store payments when you order ahead through Yelp Eat24 or use a payment code at supported businesses.
There’s been a lot of feedback from customers which shaped the redesign, indeed the ‘What’s New’ section of their Play Store entry asks you to send feedback. To that end, PayPal has included a number of improvements requested by users including Android Fingerprint authentication for more devices, though there’s no information on which devices are now supported.
There’s now a focus on separating account activity, with pending and completed transactions now separate, and therefore easier to see.
The PayPal update is rolling out through Google Play now, keep an eye out for a prompt to update over the next few days.
