Google Pay Bug Causes Accidental Cash Deposits, Leaving Users Surprised and Confused
Recently, a bug in Google Pay’s reward program has caused some users to receive unexpected cash deposits in their accounts. Android researcher Mishaal Rahman first reported the issue on Twitter, detailing that users were receiving amounts ranging from $5 to $1,100.
Some users on Reddit have gotten over a couple hundred dollars!!! One user says they got $1,072. Wtf.https://t.co/por5kQ56Ib
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) April 5, 2023
The “Reward” program is intended to offer cashback to users who participate in promotions, but the bug has caused some users to receive significantly more money than anticipated. The message that users received indicated that the cash was a result of “dogfooding the Google Pay Remittance experience,” which refers to internal beta testing of pre-release software.
Uhhh, Google Pay seems to just be randomly giving users free money right now.
I just opened Google Pay and saw that I have $46 in "rewards" that I got "for dogfooding the Google Pay Remittance experience."
What. pic.twitter.com/Epe08Tpsk2
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) April 5, 2023
While the message was likely intended for Google employees and select testing partners only, many regular users have received multiple copies of the message and multiple payouts. It is unclear how many users have been affected by the bug or how much money has been mistakenly deposited into user accounts.
Google has acknowledged the issue and has stated that it is working to resolve it. In the meantime, affected users have been advised to keep the money in their accounts and not to spend it. It is unclear whether Google will request the money back from users once the issue is resolved.
Overall, this bug has caused some excitement among Google Pay users who received unexpected cash deposits, but it is a reminder of the potential risks associated with software bugs and glitches. While some users may be delighted by the free cash, it is important for all users to exercise caution and monitor their accounts for any unusual activity.
