What Is Google Wallet? Digital Wallet For Android?

Google Wallet is a virtual wallet, that enables you to securely store and access your every day carries. These include credit or debit cards, Identity cards, vaccine cards, event tickets, and digital car keys; right into your mobile device or smartwatch.

It also lets you make secure contactless payments and transfer funds wherever Google Pay is accepted; being a perfect partner for travelling light. The Google Wallet will act as a companion app for the existing Google Pay app, Google’s platform to send/receive money.

Here is a quick look at the features of Google Wallet and see if it can be helpful in your daily transactions.

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What is Google Wallet?

At Google’s annual I/O event that was held in May, Google announced Google Wallet. This is a new Android and Wear OS app that will allow users to store their Credit Cards, Loyalty cards, concert tickets, flight tickets, ID cards, and much more. The Google Wallet will function more or less the same as the Apple Wallet app.

While Google Wallet will be a companion app to Google Pay that will store your payment and non-payment assets. Here is a list of countries where the Google Wallet will be made available soon.

Google wallet will arrive on Android devices and WearOS devices by the end of this year. It will be available for use in 42 countries around the globe wherever Google Pay is accessible. And will be replacing the services offered by Google Pay.

The countries where Google Wallet would be available are: 

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Google Pay is available in the countries such as the US, Singapore, and India. And in these countries, the Google Wallet app will be a standalone app along with Google Pay which will stay as a payment focussed app only.

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Google Wallet Features: Security

Security is a major concern while making these types of payments. And Google ensures that all the information you enter with Google Wallet will stay on your phone.

The Process of adding a credit or debit card is rather difficult for security reasons. You would only be able to store your card after the verification and confirmation from your bank. So that you can rest assured about the worry of payment details being misused.

Each transaction is encrypted, and if you lose your device, you can easily access “Find My Device” to erase or freeze your account.

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How Does Google Wallet Store Cards Securely?

Google has now partnered with many major payment networks such as MasterCard and Citi so that you can easily store your card details and make payments. Google is also working closely with different retailers, services, ticket providers, airlines, health agencies, and travel agencies, in order to digitize their access cards and add them to Wallet. You’ll be able to add a ticket or a card directly to the Wallet, or within the applications or websites of service. 

The recent Google I/O Keynote has also hinted, that they would soon be bringing identity cards such as “driver’s license” and “hotel keys” into the Wallet app. Google is also working closely with the automobile industry, to digitize car keys. The latest offerings from BMW would be the first ones to comply with it.

Also, the students would be able to access the university campus and their dorm with just their phone, using Google Wallet. The process of creating a pass for an academic or business institution is fairly simple. You can find the pre-defined templates or you can use the generic template from the developer site. These can be used for creating custom passes or tickets for gym memberships, and even for creating parking passes.

With the new release of WearOS 3.0, Google is bringing the Google Wallet to smart wearables such as smartwatches. The newly announced Pixel watch would be the first one to adopt this new feature.

Google Wallet on the WearOS will enable seamless transactions on the go, as long as Google Pay is acceptable. You’ll now finally be able to travel just with your smartwatch or a phone, where all of your important cards and passes will be stored.

How good is it compared to Apple Wallet?

Google Wallet offers almost the same feature-set as the Apple Wallet, but they both have their own plus points. The Apple Wallet offers peer-to-peer sending through the Messages app. Whereas Google Pay integrates with Google Maps, to provide information based on the cards or tickets stored.

Both the Google Wallet and Apple Wallet support sharing the stored passes with your friends and family. You’ll be able to send the tickets or passes directly from the app with the services such as messages, mail, nearby share or airdrop. Also, NFC will enable the WearOS devices to tap to pay in instances wherever Google Pay is accepted.

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