Google Wallet is a mobile payment app that allows you to pay for items online or through contactless payment. You can also exchange money with other people, track personal spending, add virtual credit cards, and manage your money.Google has muddied the waters with a confusing brand strategy. But in June, it finally said goodbye to the Google Pay moniker and consolidated its payment apps under the Google Wallet name. You’ll still see the old terminology on the Wallet website and in the app, as well as at point of sale terminals and scanners, but Google Wallet is the service to use moving forward. Unfortunately, the transition drops the Google Pay iOS app. Google Wallet is Android-only, so iPhone users will need to use Apple Pay.Google Wallet retains all the feature from Google Pay, except for the ability to make peer-to-peer payments. Here’s how to use Google Wallet from the web and on an Android phone.How to Set Up Google WalletTo set up Google Wallet, sign into your Google Account on the website or mobile app. If you have financial information saved with Chrome’s AutoFill feature, those credit and debit cards will automatically transfer to Google Wallet. If not, you’ll enter them manually during setup.
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Google Wallet should come preinstalled on most Android devices, though you can always grab it from Google Play. Open the app, sign into your account, and add a payment method. Go to Add payment card > New credit or debit card, then you can add a card by framing it in the viewfinder. Otherwise, tap Enter details manually to type in the information. Follow the remaining screens to set up and verify the card.To add PayPal as a payment method, tap Add to Wallet at the bottom of the screen. Choose Payment card > PayPal. You’ll be taken to the PayPal website to sign in and verify the process.
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If you’re setting up the service on the web, click Add payment method, choose between a credit or debit card or bank account and click Next. Fill out the necessary information and click Save.
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The service then displays your entered payment method. You can remove or edit the existing method at any time or add new payment methods. Click the Add a payment method button to enter additional methods and then follow the steps to link it to Google Wallet. When you’re done, the page will show all the payment methods you added.
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Set Up Tap to PayYou can use a Google Wallet payment method to pay for mass transit rides with supported train and bus systems. With the contactless Tap to Pay feature, you simply tap your phone at the payment scanner without having to authenticate the transaction. The first card you added is automatically set as the default for Tap to Pay, but you can change this.At the main screen, swipe through the carousel of cards until you see the one you want to use for contactless payments. Tap the card to view it full screen, then open the three-dot icon in the upper right and select Make default for contactless.
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To pay for an item in a store that supports Google Wallet, hold your phone near the payment reader and confirm the transaction with your password, PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition. To pay for an item within an app or on a website, select the item for purchase and tap the Google Wallet button. Google Wallet will show your default payment method, which you can tap if you want to change it. Enter your authentication information to confirm the transaction.
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Add Cards, Passes, and Event TicketsBeyond setting up payment methods, you can also add transit passes, loyalty cards, gift cards, ID cards, and photos to Google Wallet. Set this up by tapping Add to Wallet at the main screen of the app, then choose the type of item you wish to add.
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Choosing Transit pass will display nearby transit agencies, allowing you to purchase and add the pass. Tap Loyalty to scan your loyalty card or Gift card to select the retailer and manually enter the details. Pick ID card to add a driver’s license or other proof of identification to the app (only certain states and airports support this feature). Hit Photo to scan a photo of yourself to use for identification. From the main screen, you can also add a COVID-19 vaccination card.
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You can also add tickets to events, boarding passes for flights, and similar items to Google Wallet. To do this, open the email or web page that contains the confirmation of your event or flight. Click Save to Google Wallet and follow the steps to add the tickets or passes. You can then view them in Google Wallet and present them when they need to be scanned.
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For Samsung Phones: Set Google Wallet as DefaultGoogle Wallet should be the default payment system for most Android devices, though you may need to manually set it on Samsung phones that would otherwise use Samsung Pay. To do this, go to Settings > Connections and select NFC and contactless payments. Choose Contactless payments and then change the default from Samsung Pay to Google Pay. Google Wallet will then pop up as the payment system when needed.
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Review Your Payment Methods and TransactionsYou can most easily review your history with Google Wallet at the website. Log into the site with your Google account. From the categories on the left, you can view saved payment methods, view passes, see past transactions, and change Google Wallet setting.
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Some of this information is also available in the Google Wallet app on your phone. Tap your profile icon at the top. From here, you can view tips for using Wallet, change your payment methods, view certain data in Wallet, and customize key options through the Settings screen.
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About Lance Whitney
Contributor
I’ve been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Beyond PCMag, I’ve written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, PC World, Time, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for CNET as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I’ve also written two books for Wiley & Sons—Windows 8: Five Minutes at a Time and Teach Yourself Visually LinkedIn.
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