Google Wallet expands to 6 more countries
Those in the six new markets will gain the ability to add payment cards to Google Wallet, paying with their Android phones or WearOS devices anywhere the contactless payments are accepted.
The new wallet will let people move “seamlessly” in society and will come with authentication, biometrics and encryption to allow for privacy options.
Moldova, Qatar, Serbia and South Africa will see Google Wallet available immediately on both Android and WearOS, while Azerbaijan and Iceland will only see the wallet on Androids for now, with WearOS capability coming later.
A faster, safer, easier way to pay google wallet availability
What can you do with Google Wallet? Tap to pay everywhere Google Pay is accepted, use loyalty cards, board a flight, and more, all with just your phone.
Check out what else can GoogIe WalIet do that your physical wallet can’t?
If you saved your boarding pass for a flight to Google Wallet, it will notify you of delays and gate changes. When you head to a concert, you’ll receive a notification on your phone beforehand, reminding you of your saved tickets.
Wallet also works with other Google apps — for instance if you’re taking the bus to see a friend and look up directions in Google Maps, your transit card and balance will show up alongside the route. If you’re running low on fare, you can tap and add more. We’ll also give you complete control over how items in your wallet are used to enable these experiences; for example, the personal information on your COVID vaccine pass is kept on your device and never shared without your permission, not even with Google.
Plus, even if you lose your credit or debit card and you’re waiting for the replacement to show up, you can still use that card with Google Wallet because of the virtual number attached to it.
But as Google enters new markets with its payment tools, it faces competition from Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. As part of its payments push, Apple and Block partnered in June to introduce a tap-to-pay function for Square’s point-of-sale app, enabling customers to pay using Apple’s iPhone contactless payment feature. Amid fluctuating cryptocurrency prices, Samsung unveiled a new digital wallet that same month which could house digital currencies, identification cards, payment cards and other items.
