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These are the major retailers in the US that accept Google Wallet
We compiled a list of the major US retailers who accept Google Wallet to take the guesswork out of it for you
Google Wallet offers a convenient way to make contactless payments using your Android device, regardless of the budget Android phone. You can store and manage payment cards, loyalty programs, tickets, and digital keys on your Android phone. While it uses near-field communication (NFC) technology for payments (similar to Apple Pay and Samsung Pay), its acceptance may vary among US retailers. However, it's supported by major stores.
Google Wallet will soon support passes from Apple devices
Sharing passes between iOS and Android devices could get simpler
Google Wallet has come a long way since its early days, including going through a couple of rebrands. The consolidated app for passes, tickets, credit/debit cards, boarding passes, etc., on your Android phone is routinely getting better with new features while also ensuring more countries and banks start supporting the app. However, Google's offering doesn't support the .pkpass file format, which is used by Apple for passes stored in its own Wallet app. That appears to be changing now, at least for a few people around the world, who are reporting the ability to import .pkpass files onto the Google Wallet app.
Google Wallet will auto-add boarding passes and movie tickets from Gmail
A new manual archiving option is also available
Google Wallet is the singular destination for viewing all your credit/debit cards, passes, tickets, digital car keys, etc., while also supporting tap-to-pay transactions on your Android smartphone. But there's always room for improvement, and the service is now making things easier for users by automatically pulling info from Gmail to add boarding passes and movie tickets to Wallet.
Google Wallet vs. Samsung Pay: Which tap to pay system is best?
There are some subtle and not-so-subtle differences
Our smartphones have become indispensable digital wallets, and we no longer need to carry physical cards. With Google Wallet and Samsung Pay at the top of the tap-to-pay landscape, choosing the best fit for your needs can be a puzzle. Both apps work on most Android phones and our favorite Android smartwatches. Picking the right one depends on your needs.
Google Wallet is a payment platform and secure digital receptacle for bank cards, memberships, and passes, all rolled into one app available on your Android device and your Wear OS smartwatch. But we cannot seem to overlook Google’s consistent efforts to improve the wallet app’s compatibility with various banks for convenient payments — one of the many things which makes it our favorite wallet app. 44 banks joined the roster in December, and 42 more have inked the papers to support Google Wallet in January 2024.
Your Wear OS watch just got a lot more useful for Maps navigation
Google also makes Google Wallet passes support for watches official
Despite Google's renewed focus on Wear OS, there's a functionality difference between many of its mobile and companion smartwatch apps. For example, you can use the Google Wallet app on your Android smartwatch to make contactless payments and show government-issued ID cards. However, support for boarding passes and event tickets was missing. Amid a barrage of Android-related updates at MWC 2024, Google announced two major Wear OS improvements, including one that fixes this annoying Google Wallet limitation.
The Google Pay app is shutting down in the US
The app will be killed in favor of Google Wallet in June
Google loves a good rebrand. A classic example is Google Talk becoming Hangouts, then shifting course again to become Google Chat — and earlier this month, we saw it again when Google Bard was renamed to Google Gemini. But the most confusing example has to be Google Wallet, a pioneer in the NFC payments space, which eventually got combined with Android Pay and rebranded to Google Pay, only to become Google Wallet again for most users, even though Google Pay stuck around in the US, India, and Singapore. Now, Google is throwing another body on the pile and completing the circle.
How and if you can add your state identification to Google Wallet
A digital ID is convenient to have if you can use one
Some US states allow you to add your driver's license or state ID to your Google Wallet. There are a few caveats, but it's a useful way to carry and display your ID. This feature was pioneered by Apple in 2021, and Google has caught up.
What is NFC and how is it used?
NFC (near-field communication) enables many of your phone's best features
NFC, or near-field communication, has been a common acronym on tech devices for years. NFC technology, often denoted by an "N" logo, has become a critical part of our smartphones and smartwatches. You'll also find NFC on smart speakers, tablets, and gaming devices like Nintendo Switch. NFC silently works in the background and allows contactless payments via Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, or Apple Pay. Before we go over its use cases, let's learn more about this proximity-based wireless communication standard.
Google Wallet now supports 44 more banks — here's the new additions
Many more banks have joined the list since we last checked
There are many reasons why Google Wallet is one of our favorite wallet apps on Android, and the list keeps growing. The versatile app brings the convenience of contactless payments to your device, while also storing other government-issued ID cards, loyalty cards, and memberships for the gym or yacht club. In the US alone, the Wallet app has managed to grow significantly since the days when it was known as Google Pay. 44 more banks signed on to support the app in December 2023.
Google's digital wallet, called Google Wallet, can store transit passes, loyalty cards, and gift cards, like its competitor, Samsung Pay. It's an adequate replacement for physical credit cards, given that Google Wallet payments are widely accepted. You must know how to add and remove your credit cards to use the app effectively.
Google Wallet's new Wear OS integration gives you quick access to passes, tickets, and more
Hop onto flights without taking your phone out every few minutes
Read update
Google has been on a roll through 2023, adding features and expanding support for available options on Google Wallet. In the last year alone, we saw support for government-issued ID cards expand to more states in the US. Google also made flight and event boarding passes shareable in the Wallet app. Now, the equivalent app for Wear OS is picking up support for boarding passes, so you don’t need to whip out your phone while traveling.
Imagine never worrying about leaving your ID behind in your other bag. Thanks to a recent Android update, Google Wallet now allows users in select US states to carry a digital version of their ID on their smartphones. Currently, the feature is available in states like Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland. Google is promising to spread the digital ID love to more states in the coming months.
It took Google half a year to roll out this new Wallet card type
Announced in June, National Insurance numbers can finally be added in the UK
Since launching under its current moniker in July of last year, Google Wallet has acted as the company's primary mobile payment service, allowing users to make purchases from their supported Android devices. The platform has undergone multiple name changes and design updates over time, with Google Wallet debuting in its original form all the way back in 2011, before being changed to Android Pay in 2015 and again reverting to its current title after a brief stint as Google Pay in 2018.
Google Chrome is adding a boarding pass detector on Android
Because less hassle when traveling is always a good thing
The worst part of traveling home for the holidays is traveling itself. There are so many hoops you have to jump through, the lines are long, and the delays are plentiful. What shouldn’t be a hassle, though, is being able to grab your boarding pass and get it on any device you’ve got on you. Google recognizes this, and not too long ago, the company made it possible to share boarding and event passes on Google Wallet to anyone with a custom link. It appears that Google is taking additional steps to make obtaining boarding pass information easier with a newly-added flag found on Chrome.
Google Wallet is evolving into a convenient replacement for your actual wallet, transforming your smartphone into a receptacle for digital IDs, currency, bank cards, tickets, and other passes. The app’s developers have been on a streak, with new features or news of their expanding availability streaming in regularly. Now, the company is integrating support for workplace ID cards, helping Google Wallet become one of the best digital wallet apps you could count on.
Google Wallet not working? Here are a few quick fixes
Trouble with the tap? Here's how you can fix your payment problems
Contactless payments, whether by passing a card over a radio frequency identification (RFID) terminal or a smartphone with near field communication (NFC) over a suitable reader, make purchases faster and more convenient by eliminating the need to fiddle with a PIN pad. All Android phones come with NFC, allowing them to work with payment apps like Google Wallet. Since the app has your card details, you hold your phone to a card scanner, and it does the rest.
Google Wallet rolls out shareable boarding and event passes
Once you share the web-based link, it's out there for good
Google Wallet has been recently getting a bunch of cool new features, such as the ability to add passes just by snapping a picture. In July, the company also teased a convenient way to share your Wallet passes with others, which is great news for anyone who has ever been stuck juggling travel plans or concert tickets for a group. This sharing feature is now being rolled out to users.
Android's built-in QR scanner will soon help you add passes to Google Wallet
Google Play Services beta 23.42 promises enhanced Wallet integration
Digital wallets are more than just payment platforms these days — they're comprehensive tools for managing all types of cards and credentials. Google Wallet, for one, supports loyalty cards, digital car keys, and even drivers licenses and IDs in some states. Building on this, a recent update suggests that Google Wallet is about to get even more versatile, with Android's default QR code scanner slated to assist users in adding passes directly to the app.
Google Wallet extends digital ID support to Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia
Joining Maryland, three more states get a taste of the future
Smartphones may have started out as pocket computers, but their unique combination of sensors and always-on connectivity has led them to become so much more. As manufacturers aim to make life more convenient with features like contactless payments and wireless transfers, a byproduct of this is the integration of virtual government-issued ID cards into phones using the secure NFC element.