Cash App opens up to Apple Pay and Google Pay for the first time
Cash App’s new Pools feature lets users set a group funding goal, name the pool, and invite contributors.
Courtesy: Cash App
Cash App is going on the offensive in peer-to-peer payments.
The Block-owned payments platform on Tuesday unveiled Pools, a new peer-to-peer feature designed to make group payments simple. It’s the company’s first major P2P product launch in nearly two years.
“This is the first time we’re going into out-of-network payments with Pools,” said Owen Jennings, Block’s head of business, referring to the feature’s ability to accept contributions via Apple Pay or Google Pay from people who aren’t on Cash App.
Pools allows users to create and manage a shared balance for group payments — whether splitting a dinner bill or collecting funds for a group trip. Contributions can be made through Cash App or via Apple Pay and Google Pay, which opens up the experience to users outside the app for the first time.
By sharing a Pool link, organizers can collect funds even from friends who don’t use Cash App, making out-of-network participation easier.
The launch comes as Cash App races to regain momentum in a high-stakes rivalry with Venmo, which has been steadily growing under new leadership at PayPal.
PayPal reported its second-quarter results before the market opened Tuesday. Venmo had another knockout quarter, with revenue growing more than 20% year over year — its highest growth rate since 2023.
That followed a similarly strong first quarter where Venmo’s revenue growth doubled the pace of payment volume, driven by rising adoption of debit cards, instant transfers, and online checkout. The gains were fueled by heavier use of Venmo debit cards, instant transfers, and online checkout integrations. PayPal does not break out Venmo revenue.
For Block, the debut of Pools is a strategic reset. The company posted disappointing first-quarter results in May, missing revenue expectations and admitting it had lost focus on growing Cash App’s user base.
“Money is fundamentally social in nature,” Jennings said.
“We want Cash App to be the financial operating system for the next generation… to essentially be the money app where a customer can run their entire financial life,” added Jennings, who was previously Cash App’s chief operating officer.
That includes reinvesting in the peer-to-peer features that first made the app popular, and now aiming to make them more social and accessible — functionality that’s central to Cash App’s broader growth strategy.
Contributors can join a pool and send money through Cash App or external wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Courtesy: Cash App
Jennings said opening up access to Apple and Google accounts is an opportunity to get more active users and bring people into the ecosystem.
The company sees each non-user who contributes to a pool as a potential convert.
“This product is fundamentally geared at network expansion and improving the virality of our peer-to-peer products,” he added. “It’s the foundation of Cash App — it’s how Cash App started, but it’s also the growth engine that fuels everything else.”
Internally, the rollout represents a cultural shift at Block. The feature went from idea to launch in just a few months, driven by what Jennings described as “high velocity, high quality” development powered in part by internal AI tools like the company’s open-source assistant, Goose.
“The pace of development on this and our ability to get it in customers’ hands feels really different this year,” Jennings said. “Especially in the past three or four months, relative to how things felt about a year ago.”
He added that the shift isn’t unique to Block.
“You’ll probably broadly see that in the industry, where the pace of development is going to pick up as the marginal cost of a great line of code continues to fall. And this is just a great example of how we were able to move really fast.”
When a pool reaches its target, organizers can close it and transfer the collected funds directly into their Cash App balance.
Courtesy: Cash App
The launch also reflects CEO Jack Dorsey’s call to return Cash App to its core growth engine. On the company’s first-quarter earnings call, Dorsey acknowledged the platform’s recent underperformance
“I just don’t think we were focused enough and had enough attention on the network and the network density, and that is our foundation,” he said.
While Cash App continues to expand its banking and lending products — including its FDIC-approved Borrow program — Dorsey emphasized that the app’s success still hinges on peer-to-peer engagement.
“We of course want to deepen engagement with our customers through banking services and Borrow,” he said. “But at the same time, we need to make sure that we continuously grow our network, and that starts with peer-to-peer.”
Pools is designed to drive organic user growth — not direct revenue.
“We’re not looking at this from a profit maximization perspective,” Jennings said. “This is very geared at network expansion and getting back to a place where actives are growing at a healthy clip.”
The tool comes with built-in progress tracking, seamless integration with Cash App’s banking tools, and the ability for organizers to set a target amount and share a link to collect contributions.
Pools is currently available to a limited set of Cash App users, with a broader rollout expected in the coming months. For Block, it’s the start of what Jennings described as a new chapter — one focused on making money feel “more multiplayer.”
WATCH: Mastercard stock jumps as it links Fiserv’s new stablecoin to its global payments network
With its tire-blistering acceleration and record-setting performance, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra has been getting attention throughout the auto industry, impressing everyone who’s seen it. That “everyone” now seems to include the OG supercar brand, itself.
CarNewsChina posted pictures from a Weibo user that reportedly show a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra exiting the storied Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy. According to a Chinese blogger going by 西米露在博洛尼亚 (which seems to translate to “Sago Dessert in Bologna”), the prancing horse brand is actively benchmarking the Chinese hypercar for its own upcoming EV.
The SU7 Ultra was definitely coming from inside Ferrari’s facility. After verification, we learned this specific vehicle was officially purchased by Ferrari for testing, and the development of their next-generation electric platform.
Yet another Chinese auto blogger, 苏黎世贝勒爷, claims that Ferrari representatives visited Xiaomi headquarters last year, allegedly to discuss the joint development of next-generation high-performance EV motors.
The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra made its debut last year, promising 1,548 hp, sub 2.0-second 0-60 mph times, and a top speed well over 200 mph – all at a price lower than a Tesla Model S Plaid or Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. The car sold out almost immediately after it was unveiled, racking up some 50,000 orders almost overnight.
The new electric benchmark
In the automotive world, “benchmarking” is a process in which car companies systematically tear down each others’ competitive products to compare everything from sound insulation, vehicle ride and handling, component materials, and even manufacturing methods against their own or against other industry leaders. The goal is to evaluate performance, cost, quality, and other key metrics, effectively figuring out “where they stand” in the market.
If Ferrari really did buy an SU7 to benchmark it against their own upcoming electric supercar, it’s more than just a curiosity – it could mean that the highest tiers of automotive innovation have shifted from West to East. Maybe forever.
Featured image via Xiaomi; sources throughout the post.
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We’re finally getting our first teases of the upgraded 2027 Chevy Bolt, built on GM’s battery/motor platform formerly known as Ultium. So far, so good for the vehicle, which will be revealed later this Fall.
Chevy took to social media today to tease the 2027 Chevy Bolt, saying, “You asked, we listened. The #ChevyBolt is back and better than ever. More this fall. 👀”
Chevy ended the original Bolt program with the 2023 model, which was loved by a loyal group of customers (including myself). Some of the major gripes, including charging speed and rear brake lights, already look to be addressed. Also, a new more aggressive fascia is debuting.
Electrek’s take
GM has done an incredible job keeping the 2027 Bolt under wraps. It will be the first GM vehicle with a native NACS port after the Cadillac Optiq-V, which we spied in Seattle last week.
Hopefully, the new Bolt will have improved charging speeds over and above the 54kW that previous Bolts adhered to. One possible downgrade is that the old Bolt’s amazing wireless CarPlay/Android Auto system will likely be replaced by GM’s move to Android’s built-in experience. For a few years, the Chevy Bolt was the most affordable long-range EV, and it won our 2022 Electrek car of the year for its versatility and price.
I would, of course, like to see the new Bolt as a hot hatchback, but GM CEO Mary Barra has hinted that it will likely take more of the EUV’s SUV form factor. Things like AWD options, SuperCruise, pricing, power and range are yet to be revealed, but stay tuned to Electrek for the latest on Bolt developments.
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On today’s test-acular episode of Quick Charge, it’s a new day and a new Chinese ADAS test for Tesla to conquer – but this one’s got a LOT more pedestrian carnage to parse through! We’ve also got some great e-bike deals from Retrospec and a bladder-busting Hyundai.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Retrospec – the makers of sleek, powerful e-bikes and outdoor gear built for everyday adventure! To that end, we’ve got a pair of Retrospec e-bike reviews followed up by the updated Hyundai IONIQ 6 with nearly 350 miles of range from its updated long-range battery. With that, Hyundai now has the longest range Korean EV on the market, while Texas is adding megawatts of battery energy storage to beef up its troubled grid, and it’s doing so faster and cheaper than ever before.
Plus: Quick Charge listeners can get an extra 10% off the price of their next awesome e-bike by using code ELECTREK10 at retrospec.com!
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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