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Google Pay has introduced Flex, a new digital credit card designed to make everyday borrowing easier and more intuitive for users across India. The launch reflects the company’s ongoing push to widen access to responsible credit by pairing financial education with choice and close collaboration with established lenders.
Google Pay says that while personal loans cater to larger, long-term needs, many users still lack simple tools to manage routine spending with enough flexibility. Credit cards can fill that gap, but adoption in India remains relatively low, with roughly 50 million people currently holding one. Flex is positioned as a way to modernise the credit card experience for users who are already comfortable with UPI-based payments.
At its core, Flex by Google Pay is a UPI-enabled, co-branded digital credit card that lives entirely inside the Google Pay app. The idea is to make using credit feel as natural as scanning a QR code, while retaining the structure, security and discipline of a conventional credit card.
The first version of Flex is being introduced with Axis Bank and runs on the RuPay network under the name Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card. Google has indicated that more issuing partners will be added over time, expanding the programme through its existing ties with India’s financial sector.
Flex is fully digital from start to finish. Users can apply directly through the Google Pay app in minutes, without submitting paperwork or waiting for a physical card. Once approved, the card is immediately available on the phone and can be used for payments at millions of offline locations via QR codes, as well as for online purchases wherever RuPay cards are accepted.
One standout feature is its instant rewards system. Cardholders earn “stars” on every transaction, which can be redeemed immediately at 1 rupee per star, rather than accumulating points for end-of-month redemption. Repayment is also flexible, allowing users to clear their balance in full or convert eligible spend into EMIs directly within the app.
To support responsible use, Google Pay has built comprehensive controls into the Flex experience. Users can monitor spending and bills in real time, set transaction limits, temporarily block or unblock the card, and reset their PIN whenever required, all from within the app.
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The Flex card is available only through Google Pay and carries no joining fee. The rollout has begun in phases, with interested users able to sign up to a waitlist as availability gradually expands.
With this launch, Google Pay aims to reduce friction around credit card use and offer a more accessible way for users to manage everyday expenses, combining the familiarity of UPI payments with the flexibility of digital credit in a single, app-based experience.
