On the other hand, I don't want to send money with my email client, any more than I want to be able to play video games with it. And I'm sure there's people who want to send money on Google's platform, but don't want the rest of the Google apps.

Whatever happened to the Unix Philosophy? Applications should do one thing, and do it well.

It is scary that you're getting downvoted. I guess the thumbs down crowd really wants the web browser to do everything.

If the browser has me as their primary customer I feel it's a good gatekeeper to a web that wants to exploit me.

The browser enables advertisers and malicious users to exploit your privacy.

Not all browsers.

> making me download another of your apps

Downloading another app is bad makes me realize mega-apps like Wechat existed for a reason.

The idea of companies trying to push app on their customers is something I've been think a lot about recently, as the number of apps on my phone has grown to cover two screen, not including those hidden away in a junk folder.

The IT landscape has turned out completely opposite to what I would like. I love have dedicated, native, applications on my computer, but things are slowly migrating to web application or Electron apps. On my phone I have a ton of apps, some of which I just use a few time a year and which could just as easily be a web application. Companies just love to get their little logo onto my home screen on my phone, so now everything needs to be an app apparently.

Compare the privacy loss of website access to app access.

My credit union requires full location tracking for their app; its just another revenue stream.

In terms of bubbles I think we're in a loss of privacy economic bubble. The first megacorp to track my every move and try to exploit it makes a lot of money. The 25th app on my phone tracking my every move? Does the 25th market participant seriously think they're gonna make money off my private data when 24 competitors have already squeezed all the blood from that stone?

You confirmed it was actually possible to send money in Gmail? Because I, and some other people who replied here, were unaware it was even possible.

There used to be a dollar sign right next to the paper clip sign you use to attach files, but it attaches money instead. Genius. But I would ask other American friends to send me money that way instead of venmo and they would tell me they don't have that option available to them. Once I would send them 5 cents, then they would get the money attach option, but not before.

I'm not from the US but I've never seen that option either. Must be just a select few countries.

I have emailed money through Gmail for two years now. Apparently no more...

What were the previous limits you were allowed to send?

It might not have ever launched in your locale, perhaps. I used it a few times to send money to another person in the USA. For what it did, it was exceedingly simple and easy to use.

So you find it more convenient to switch to a totally different money sending service than to just download a separate app?

By downloading another app you also get the advantage of not using Google and not having your data mined for advertising/the service randomly cancelled on a whim.

Instead, you are simply giving it to another company when Google probably already has a lot of information. Even if they start out not taking any more information than they need to (which, being a money app, probably is a decent amount of information), I don't trust any company to stay this way.

Other companies shut down and sell off to larger places too, so you aren't exactly off the hook there. Slews of apps have done this. You are simply aware of some of googles' stoppages, in no small part because you might have used a couple or because they get publicity for longer.

Google has a lot of opt out controls to prevent personalized advertising. Other services are doing a lot worse. Google Pay is instant when using a debit/credit card and has great support. Setup is a breeze so even if it is canceled one day, which there is no indication of it happening soon, you really aren't losing anything.

Leave now and avoid the rush when they cancel it

So what if it is cancelled one day? You lose like a few minutes of your time and then complain that no one else offers something as good?

In the long run? I’d expect so.

What's the difference at that point?

Yes.