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Google Pay Troubleshooting Guide

Why Google Pay Isn't Showing on Chrome​

If Google Pay is not appearing as a payment option on Chrome, here are the common reasons and solutions:

1. Square Dashboard Configuration​

Google Pay must be explicitly enabled in your Square account:

Steps to Enable:​

  1. Log in to Square Dashboard
  2. Navigate to Account & Settings → Business → Payments
  3. Look for Digital Wallets or Google Pay
  4. Ensure Google Pay is enabled
  5. Save changes

Note: Some Square accounts have Google Pay enabled by default, but some require manual activation.

2. HTTPS Requirement​

Google Pay requires a secure connection (HTTPS) to work:

  • ✅ Production: Must use HTTPS
  • ✅ Development:
    • localhost is considered secure (works with HTTP)
    • 127.0.0.1 is considered secure
    • Local network IPs (e.g., 192.168.x.x) require HTTPS

Solution for local testing:

# If using local network IP, set up HTTPS:
npm install -g local-ssl-proxy
local-ssl-proxy --source 3001 --target 3000
# Then access via https://localhost:3001

3. Browser Requirements​

Google Pay has specific browser requirements:

Supported Browsers:​

  • ✅ Chrome (Desktop & Mobile)
  • ✅ Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based)
  • ✅ Opera
  • ✅ Brave
  • ❌ Safari (Apple Pay only)
  • ❌ Firefox (Limited support)

Check Your Chrome Version:​

chrome://version/

Minimum version: Chrome 61+

4. Google Account Setup​

The user must have Google Pay set up:

  1. User must be signed into Chrome with a Google account
  2. User must have at least one payment method saved in Google Pay
  3. Go to pay.google.com to verify setup

How to check:

  • Click on your profile picture in Chrome
  • Look for "Payment methods" option
  • If not available, Google Pay isn't set up

5. Square Sandbox vs Production​

Sandbox Mode (Testing):​

  • Google Pay is available but may require additional setup
  • Use test payment methods from Google Pay test environment
  • Some features may be limited

Production Mode:​

  • Full Google Pay functionality
  • Real payment methods
  • All features available

6. Square Application Configuration​

Verify your Square application is properly configured:

# .env.local
NEXT_PUBLIC_SQUARE_APPLICATION_ID=sandbox-sq0idb-xxxxx  # Must be valid
NEXT_PUBLIC_SQUARE_LOCATION_ID=LXXXXXXXXXXXXX          # Must be valid
SQUARE_ACCESS_TOKEN=EAAAE...                            # Must have payment permissions

7. Geographic Restrictions​

Google Pay availability varies by region:

Supported Countries:

  • 🇺🇸 United States
  • 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
  • 🇨🇦 Canada
  • 🇦🇺 Australia
  • And many more

Check your configuration:

// In SquareCheckoutForm.tsx
paymentRequest: {
  countryCode: "US",  // Must match your Square account country
  currencyCode: "USD", // Must match your currency
  // ...
}

8. Browser Extensions & Ad Blockers​

Some extensions can interfere with Google Pay:

Common culprits:

  • Privacy Badger
  • uBlock Origin
  • Ghostery
  • NoScript

Solution:

  • Temporarily disable extensions
  • Add your site to whitelist

9. Console Errors​

Check the browser console for specific errors:

Open DevTools:

  • Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows/Linux)
  • Press Cmd+Option+I (Mac)
  • Look for errors related to Google Pay initialization

Common errors:

"Google Pay is not available"​

Google Pay not available: Error: ...

Cause: Browser doesn't support Google Pay or user not logged in
Solution: Ensure user is signed into Chrome with Google account

"Payment request API not available"​

Payment request API not available

Cause: Browser doesn't support Payment Request API
Solution: Update Chrome to latest version

"Merchant blocked"​

Merchant not allowed to use this feature

Cause: Square account not authorized for Google Pay
Solution: Contact Square support to enable Google Pay

10. Testing Checklist​

Use this checklist to diagnose issues:

  • Using Chrome browser (version 61+)
  • Signed into Chrome with Google account
  • At least one payment method in Google Pay (pay.google.com)
  • Site served over HTTPS or on localhost
  • Google Pay enabled in Square Dashboard
  • Valid Square Application ID and Location ID
  • No console errors in DevTools
  • No blocking browser extensions
  • Testing in supported country
  • Square account in good standing

Debugging Steps​

Step 1: Verify Square SDK Loaded​

// In browser console:
console.log(
  window.Square ? "✅ Square SDK loaded" : "❌ Square SDK not loaded"
);

Step 2: Check Google Pay Initialization​

// Look for this in console when page loads:
"Google Pay initialized successfully";
// or
"Google Pay not available: [error message]";

Step 3: Test Payment Request API​

// In browser console:
if (window.PaymentRequest) {
  console.log("✅ Payment Request API supported");
} else {
  console.log("❌ Payment Request API not supported");
}

Step 4: Verify Google Pay Setup​

// In browser console (requires Square SDK loaded):
const payments = await window.Square.payments(
  "YOUR_APP_ID",
  "YOUR_LOCATION_ID"
);
try {
  const googlePay = await payments.googlePay({
    paymentRequest: {
      countryCode: "US",
      currencyCode: "USD",
      total: {
        label: "Test",
        amount: "1.00",
        pending: false,
      },
    },
  });
  console.log("✅ Google Pay available:", googlePay);
} catch (e) {
  console.error("❌ Google Pay error:", e);
}

Common Solutions​

Solution 1: Enable Google Pay in Square​

  1. Go to Square Dashboard
  2. Account & Settings → Business → Payments
  3. Enable Google Pay under Digital Wallets
  4. Wait 5-10 minutes for changes to propagate

Solution 2: Set Up Google Pay​

  1. Visit pay.google.com
  2. Sign in with your Google account
  3. Add a payment method (use test card for sandbox)
  4. Verify setup is complete

Solution 3: Use Incognito Mode​

  1. Open Chrome Incognito window
  2. Navigate to your checkout page
  3. This eliminates extension interference
  4. If it works, disable extensions one by one

Solution 4: Clear Browser Cache​

# Or in Chrome:
# Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data
# Select "Cached images and files"

Solution 5: Update Environment Variables​

# Verify these are correct in .env.local:
NEXT_PUBLIC_SQUARE_APPLICATION_ID=sandbox-sq0idb-...
NEXT_PUBLIC_SQUARE_LOCATION_ID=L...
SQUARE_ACCESS_TOKEN=EAAAE...

Still Not Working?​

Contact Square Support​

If Google Pay still doesn't appear after trying all solutions:

  1. Square Developer Support

  2. Information to Provide:

    • Square Application ID
    • Square Location ID
    • Browser and version
    • Console error messages
    • Country/region
    • Testing or Production mode

Alternative Payment Methods​

While troubleshooting, you can use:

  • 💳 Card payments (always available)
  • 🍎 Apple Pay (if on Safari/iOS)
  • 🎁 Gift Cards (if enabled)

Additional Resources​

Summary​

Most Common Cause: Google Pay not enabled in Square Dashboard or user not signed into Chrome with Google account.

Quick Fix:

  1. Sign into Chrome with Google account
  2. Visit pay.google.com and add a payment method
  3. Enable Google Pay in Square Dashboard
  4. Refresh the checkout page

Note: The payment method selector will automatically hide if only one payment method (Card) is available, providing a cleaner checkout experience.