Google may want to bring back their classic “Wallet” name to be Android’s home for contactless payment cards and key cards.
On Android, things have been a bit messy in terms of contactless payments, mostly because of what feels like an ever-changing strategy on the part of Google. For most of the world, “Google Pay” has been and is run through a standalone app that exclusively manages your contactless payments along with other supported tickets and cards.
Meanwhile, in select countries such as the US, Singapore and India, there is a completely different app, “GPay”, which hosts a range of social features, appointments and peer-to-peer payments, just as it was once home to Google’s canceled ambitions for bank. This app has less emphasis on contactless payments, where the work of managing your cards and cards is handled by Google Play Services rather than GPay.
The downside of that GPay app is that it can only be installed on a single device at a time, unlike the previous Google Pay app. Instead, your other device needs to use the older app to have contactless payments on more than one device. Pixel phones have bypassed this minor issue with the “Cards & Passes” feature, which provides quick access to your debit cards from the lock screen and quick settings, but this is not available on most other Android devices.
Last week, we were the first to report that Google was preparing a new “Wallet” icon, which we thought would be well-prepared to be a gateway to everything from debit cards to “digital tickets, airline cards and vaccine passports. ” In new screenshots shared on Twitter by Mishaal Rahman, we have our first look at what Google has planned for “Wallet” on Android.
On what appears to be a landing page, we see that Wallet is designed to offer “debit cards, loyalty cards, and more in one place.” If you continue into the applet, it looks like it offers a material you’ve styled review of all the same features of the classic Google Pay experience built into Play Services.
The top of the Google Wallet app has a dedicated place to display your standard contactless Google Pay debit card. The term here (and in the intro graphic) is interesting as it suggests that the payment operation is still done “with Google Pay” even if you add the card to “Wallet”. The implication is that the two are different and that both brands can go on.
Below we can see the usual list of loyalty cards, among which we will probably also see any upcoming travel or event tickets. Every item on the list is smart, color-coordinated to the company logo. The site also has a floating “Add to Wallet” button, which makes it easy to sign up for a new debit card, loyalty membership, gift card or transit account. In Android’s latest apps view, you can even see the new Wallet icon in action.
All in all, there do not appear to be any new features on the screen. Instead, this seems to be a new entry point for Google’s existing package of payment options, albeit offered during the new / revived “Wallet” branding. It is not clear how it is intended for owners of Android devices to access Wallet, although it would be great to see it as its own app icon in the launcher.
For now, Google’s latest bid for the “Wallet” brand – which originally served exclusively as a home for peer-to-peer payments and an associated payment card – is still in early development. It will probably take a few more months before this new wallet ends up in the pocket of Android owners.
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