Last month, Google re-launched the ever-popular Google Wallet, and with it, a new way to manage your loyalty cards, debit, credit and gift cards as well as boarding passes. Yes, Google Pay is still available for P2P payments, offers and more, and although you can also manage your cards there, the new Wallet is a much more user-friendly, consumer-focused effort.
Yesterday, the service became available in six new markets so that safer, simpler, more helpful payments can be experienced by more people for their digital purchases. In addition to the existing locations, Wallet can now be installed and used in Azerbaijan, Iceland, Moldova, Qatar, Serbia, and South Africa!
Wallet’s premise of being an all-in-one digital solution that lets you leave your physical wallet home has been popular in India and other countries for years now, and has become a primary means of payment and card management for one’s digital and financial footprint. Now that it’s available in the United States it’s taken off like wild fire. Having the app available in South Africa, Iceland and other markets further solidifies its success and usefulness.
While Google Pay’s hopes for becoming your new bank provider didn’t pan out, Wallet itself is still working with states across the U.S. and with international partners to bring digital driver’s licenses and IDs to the app before this year ends.
Even still, storing more important documents in Wallet securely will take time to catch on with users since most people are still very privacy-minded (which is great!) New opportunities to digitize our lives and vital statistics must first become a culturally accepted thing and companies must build trust – something Google and others have historically done both well and poorly in turn.
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