Google begins rolling out its new multifunction mobile wallet to 39 countries

Technology Technology: In The News
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Google has begun rolling out a multipurpose digital wallet that enables users to store, use and present digital credentials such as identity cards and health passes as well as payment cards, transit and event tickets and hotel keys in 39 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Google announced the new Wallet in May and has now begun rolling it out as an update replacing Google Pay in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, UAE and the UK.

Google is also launching Wallet in the USA and Singapore but Android users in both countries will also still be able to use Google Pay for peer-to-peer payments and money management.

A rollout in Japan is also “coming soon”, according to Google.

I was notified by email:

We wanted to let you know that the Google Pay app is becoming Google Wallet. It has new features, a fresh design and new privacy settings for better control of how your data gets shared.
Our digital wallet gives you fast, secure access to payment cards, loyalty cards, tickets, boarding passes, car keys and more.

You can still pay anywhere that Google Pay is accepted online – just look for Google Pay checkout buttons or use auto-fill in Chrome and Android. And with a card saved in Wallet, you can also make contactless payments in-store anywhere that Google Pay is accepted.

I suspect that I will not require 90% of the facilities/options but I’m sure that (most of) the rest of the app users will … :037:

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The Chinese have been using a similar service for years, I am told they tend to have two phones, one for calls and internet use and one solely for paying bills. The west is just catching up.

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Just calls, internet and bills? Two phones? So 20th Century.

The new Google Wallet, apparently, is a lifestyle option for one mobile phone:

Whatever cards you were able to store in Google Pay in the past, you’ll now be able to store in Google Wallet, from credit cards to transit passes. Also, during Google I/O, the company announced new digital ID cards that will eventually work with Google Wallet in the future.

First and foremost, you can store credit and debit cards in Google Wallet. Most banks and cards are supported, but to make sure yours are, Google has a list of supported contactless payments(opens in new tab) sorted by country.

You can add your loyalty cards or membership cards, assuming the program’s company has submitted its API to Google Pay. You’ll then be able to tap your phone or watch to apply discounts or balances, as well as pay directly for items.

Plus, you’ll keep your boarding passes and event tickets in Google Wallet, so entering a plane or stadium is as simple as pulling them up and tapping your phone.

Google Wallet will technically cache transit cards as well, though at the moment, it only seems to support Clipper Card in California. And parking passes will also show up here; at Google I/O, they gave the example of a Walt Disney World parking pass.

In terms of new features, you’ll be able to store COVID-19 vaccine passports; Google says that “if you take a screenshot of your boarding pass or Covid vaccine card from an Android device, we’ll give you the option to add it directly to your Google Wallet.”

In the future, Google Wallet will even host hotel room keys, office passes, and digital car keys — though the latter will require your car to work with the feature.

Google’s biggest challenge, however, will be to enable digital driver’s licenses or college IDs. These will come to Google Wallet starting in 2022, but not necessarily for you depending on where you live.

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My phone has been updated to “Wallet” - I will try the “Pay” function later.

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“Pay” failed at my local supermarket … :-1:

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Ouch! Bet that was awkward? What did you pay with?

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I used the actual card so there was only mild embarrassment on my part and just a few minutes delay for the rest of the queue … :grinning:

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Hi

I prefer cash, can’t be having with the phone thing.

I saw a teenager paying ÂŁ700 for some shoes with a phone, weird

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Or using the watch…twisting your wrist over to get it scanned at the machine…how the other half live, eh?

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I have received a reply from Google concerning my experience.

As far as they know, the new app functions flawlessly but not all checkout readers do.

They suggest rebooting the phone and trying at another store. Also, have another card registered on the app to try if the first card fails.

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Well it could be that I suppose - not all card readers may have been recalibrated yet.

I like how they say its not them though, and you have to make these changes! :roll_eyes:

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TBH, the incident occurred at “Home Bargains” and their “new” card readers are renowned for their “sensitivity” - several attempts, with the phone in different positions, are sometimes necessary to register a purchase - this does not happen elsewhere. I will try “elsewhere” … :grinning:

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Yes, I always have to put my card into the actual machine with them, because a simple tap doesn’t suffice like it does everywhere else :roll_eyes:

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I’m another one who would never use this idea.
I only use cash or card.

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Smartphone payments are more secure than credit card payments.

With a card, the physical card number is read by a machine.

With a smartphone, the physical card number is retained and a “token” is sent to the machine.

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ÂŁ700 for the shoes is the weird bit to me.

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I know…we just glossed over that bit didn’t we? :joy: