Key Takeaways

  • Google Wallet is a rebranded mobile and online payments service, offering online payments, in-app purchases, and contactless payments in stores.
  • Setting up Google Wallet is easy - just download the app or use the preloaded version, add your card details, and start using it for convenient payments.
  • Google Wallet can do more than just payments - it can store tickets, rewards cards, and even support IDs, office badges, and digital car keys for a complete physical wallet substitute.

In 2018, Google revamped and rebranded its mobile and online payments services, putting them all under the Google Pay or G Pay umbrella. However, in 2022, Google rebranded the app again, reverting back to the Google Wallet naming in most regions. The service is the company's alternative to Apple Pay. It is - in essence - a mobile wallet. It's not just for payment, these days, so the rebranding makes a lot of sense.

You can use it for online payments, in-app purchases, contactless payments in stores and for peer-to-peer money sending. So whether you're browsing for a new pair of sneakers online or buying your morning coffee, Google Wallet can do all the heavy lifting for you. But more than that, you can also load tickets, rewards cards and more onto it. Google has also bolstered support for IDs, office badges, digital car keys and more - and you can find details on how to do that here. The aim is to make Google Wallet a viable substitute for a physical wallet.

Here's everything you need to know about the service.

How do you set up Google Wallet?

To get started using Google Wallet, follow these steps:

  1. Look for the Wallet app on your phone. It's preloaded on most Android phones and Wear OS watches, but you can also simply download it from Google Play.
  2. Open the Google Wallet and select the Google account you'll be using Wallet with.
  3. If it's your first time using the app, tap "Add a card", and Wallet will offer to scan your card or let you add details manually.
  4. Alternatively, to add other cards to Wallet, tap "Add to Wallet" and you'll be presented a range of card types to add. Just tap and follow the instructions.
  5. Simply unlock your phone and tap to use Google Wallet at any contactless payment terminal, or open the ticket or loyalty card to scan on the display.

If you're using it on a Wear OS smartwatch, the process is similar. Just open the Google Wallet app on your smartwatch, it'll then take you through a setup process on the smartphone that it's connected to, prompting you for verification and to set the appropriate security measures.

How does Google Wallet work in stores?

To make in-store purchases with Google Wallet, follow these steps:

  1. Look for the Google Pay, Google Wallet or contactless payment symbol at a contactless payment terminal near checkout.
  2. Unlock your phone or launch Google Wallet on your Wear OS watch.
  3. Hold your phone or watch over the terminal and wait until you see a checkmark or hear the beep confirming the transaction.

You can pay for goods by simply unlocking your Android phone like you normally do (which also enables Google Wallet to authenticate your transaction), then placing it near a merchant's contactless terminal, and that's it. You can also pay for purchases under £100 or $50 without unlocking your phone (the screen just needs to be on), though you can only make a certain number of these transactions before your phone will ask you to unlock it.

For purchases above the £100/$50 limit, you'll need to put in your authentication. You don't even need to open an app to process a payment. It just lets you tap and go, and then you receive the confirmation/transaction details on your phone. Many phones now have a shortcut to Google Wallet in the Quick Settings - just swipe down from the top of your phone to find it.

How does Google Wallet work in apps?

To make in-app purchases with Google Wallet, follow these steps:

  1. Open a supported app, like Uber or Airbnb.
  2. At checkout or time of purchase, look for the Buy with Google Pay button.
  3. Press the Google Pay button.
  4. You'll normally be asked to choose the card you want to use, and confirm its 3-digit security number.
  5. Learn more from here.

Android offers a "Buy with Google Pay" button in apps, meaning you'll be able to tap a button and swiftly checkout, rather than having to enter your credit card and shipping address each time you make a purchase.

How does Google Wallet work on websites?

To pay on supported websites with Google Wallet, follow these steps:

  1. You can use Google Pay in any browser.
  2. At checkout on a supported site, just look for the Google Pay purchase button.
  3. You'll normally be asked to choose the card you want to use, and confirm its 3-digit security number.
  4. Learn more from here.

Now, if you see a box at checkout that says "Use selected info for future purchases from this site," check it to use Google Wallet and set it as your default payment method. The next time you plan to buy from that site, just choose what you want to buy, start to check out, and confirm that you want to use the payment information associated with Google Wallet. Then, all your information will be auto-filled.

What else can you do with Google Wallet?

Account passes/train tickets/boarding passes

Just like Apple Pay/Wallet, Google Wallet can also be used to store your passes, account cards and travel tickets in one place too. Just open the Google Wallet app and your stored passes will be right there.

Not all airlines or train operators support the feature, sadly, with many preferring to issue tickets as PDFs rather than Google Wallet compatible passes, so whether or not you can use this feature very much depends on who you're travelling with. However, many airline apps will now give you the option to "add to Google Wallet" - in which case just tap the button and save it in Google Wallet for quick access when you need it.

Google has also enabled a feature that will let you add a boarding pass from a screenshot - so if you can't add your boarding card, screen shot it from the airline app and then you'll find you have the option to add it to Google Wallet. We have full instructions for this process here. Having a boarding pass in Google Wallet means it will appear on your phone at the right time - as well as offer you updates on delays and so on.

One smart feature is that Google Wallet can automatically pull in account details from relevant emails and load virtual member passes/account cards into the Passes screen. So if you have a hotel account and you registered with your Google email account, it should pull that info in. When you open Google Wallet you'll see a notification that details were imported from Gmail.

Which devices are Google Wallet compatible?

Google Wallet is available on all modern Android phones (Lollipop 5+). However, to pay in stores using Google Pay, your phone must support NFC (near-field communication) and HCE (host card emulation). When you place your phone over a contactless payment terminal in a store, NFC and HCE work together to send your payment information to the store so you can make your purchase. With Wear OS watches, it's a similar situation. Most modern Wear OS watches will have Google Wallet support, provided they have NFC built-in for contactless transactions.

To find out if your Android phone supports Google Wallet in stores, open your device's Settings app and then tap 'More' under 'Wireless & networks'. If you don't see this option, look for a similar one like 'Connections' or 'NFC' for example. You may need to tap 'More' to see other settings. If you see the option NFC or something similar, you can officially make payments in stores using Google Wallet. Yay!

Which banks work with Google Wallet?

US

Google Wallet works with your credit and debit cards from the following US financial institutions: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa. These cards are issued by the following US banks and credit unions: Bank of America, Capitol One, Chase, Citi, Discover, PNC, US Bank, Wells Fargo, and more. See a full list of supported financial institutions from here.

UK

Google Wallet works with your credit and debit cards from the following UK financial institutions: Visa, MasterCard and AMEX cards are supported. These financial institutions support Google Wallet in the UK: Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA, Nationwide Building Society, Natwest, Revolut, Starling and more. See a full list of supported financial institutions here - Barclays, the largest outlier, enabled Google Wallet in early 2023.

Is Google Wallet secure?

Theoretically, yes. When you're paying in store, Google said Google Wallet doesn't share your actual card details. Instead, the merchant receives a unique encrypted number. Google worked with leading payment networks and financial institutions to deliver industry-standard security tokenisation. With tokenisation, the retailer receives a 16-digit number instead of your account number.

As a result, Google Wallet's tokenisation is different from Apple Pay's in that tokens aren't generated in a secure chip within the phone but rather within the cloud. Still, if you should ever lose your phone, Google recommends using Find My Device to find or erase it in order to keep your local data safe from prying eyes. However, Google Wallet does accept a PIN code, password, or pattern to authenticate transactions.

Want to know more about Google Wallet?

Check out Google's Google Wallet website for more details. Google also has this handy help hub for all your Google Wallet questions.

What Is Google Pay How Does It Work And Which Banks Support It image 4
Google

What happened to Google Pay/Android Pay?

Google Wallet is a mobile payments app that can store your credit cards, debit cards, loyalty cards, etc. In essence, replacing the old Android Pay and Google Pay apps and services. Google Pay's peer-to-peer app continues to exist alongside Google Wallet, in supported regions. This means that you can send and request money to/from family and friends, but it is currently only available in the US and Singapore.

Google Pay also refers to the act of using Google Wallet to purchase something. So you'll still see signs advertising Google Pay as a payment method even though the app is called Wallet now.

Confusing, we know. Anyway, Google Wallet is officially your one-stop shop for purchases, passes, and payment methods. Google is currently working on bringing Google Wallet to all Google products, so whether you're shopping on Chrome or with Google Assistant, you’ll have a consistent checkout experience, using the cards saved to your Google Account, the company explained in a blog post.

It's also constantly working with partners online and in stores, so you’ll see Google Pay on sites, in apps, and at your stores around the globe.