Google is known for naming its products inexplicably, and Google Wallet and Google Pay may be the best examples of this. These two apps have traveled down a winding road to reach their current position. Which one ought to use then?
Over the years, Google Wallet and Google Pay have undergone some pretty significant changes. Their goals have drastically shifted, confusing a lot of individuals in the process. Let’s examine each one to see what it has to offer.
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You might be shocked to find that the first Google Wallet was released back in 2011. The service’s main purpose was money transfers, but it also offered a physical Google Wallet credit card.
With the Google Wallet card, customers could use the money in their account to make purchases both offline and online. Before tap-to-pay mobile payments were generally accepted, this happened. It was a pretty creative idea to use the wallet card.
When tap-to-pay finally attracted enough attention, Google introduced Android Pay in 2015. The Wallet card was removed in 2016, and it kept Google Wallet and Android Pay separate until 2018 when they were unified into one service named “Google Pay.”
Then, with a host of new features, Google Pay underwent a significant upgrade in 2020. For a while, all of Google’s mobile payment options were grouped together under one roof. The service was divided in two in the summer of 2022, and Google Wallet branding made a comeback.
At the beginning of September 2022, that is the situation. Google Wallet and Google Pay are occasionally two distinct products. Later, more on that.
The most concise way to describe Google Wallet is to call it a digital wallet. You can add credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, membership cards, pass for public transit, tickets to sporting events, and vaccination cards.
Basically, Google Wallet is used to tap-to-pay for purchases both online and in-person. It has a fairly straightforward layout and displays all of your cards, tickets, and passes. Since non-Apple apps cannot be used for tap-to-pay on the iPhone, Google Wallet is only available for Android users.
Any card reader with an Apple Wallet, Google Pay, or contactless tap-to-pay icon can normally be used with Google Wallet. Look for the Google Pay or Google Wallet buttons at the checkout for online purchases. The Wallet branding won’t completely take the place of Google Pay right now.
In 2020, Google Pay underwent a significant revamp, and the current version is essentially the same. Google Pay still offers the tap-to-pay feature, but it has additional features as well.
Peer-to-peer payments, shopping discounts, cashback offers, and a full-fledged banking experience with personal finance insights are all included in the Google Pay app. Pay can be compared to a mashup of Venmo, PayPal, RetailMeNot, and Mint-like services.
Google Pay is accessible on both Android and iPhone, in contrast to Google Wallet. On the iPhone, the other functionalities function but not the tap-to-pay option. It’s a feature-rich program that strives to accomplish a lot. In fact, some people might find it to be too much, which is why Google Wallet exists.
It might not even be necessary for you to choose which app to use, depending on where you live. In the US and Singapore, Google Pay and Google Wallet can be used simultaneously. India doesn’t have Google Wallet at all, but it has completely supplanted Google Pay in every other nation (as of September 2022).
While Google Wallet is limited in what it can accomplish, Google Pay is not limited in what it can do. If your nation offers both, you have the option of using either the complete Pay experience or just mobile payments (Wallet). Having both is not necessary.
If you want tools for managing your finances, deals, incentives, or peer-to-peer payments, use Google Pay. If mobile payments are the only thing you’re interested in, Google Wallet offers a significantly more streamlined experience. For iPhone users, there is only Google Pay as an alternative, making the decision even clearer.
In conclusion, Google Wallet, Google Pay, and other services are for mobile payments. Although it’s not as difficult as you may imagine, Google isn’t exactly helping its cause.
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