We may soon be able to add payment cards to Google Wallet with a simple tap

Adding a new credit or debit card to Google Wallet is straightforward enough currently, giving users the option to either scan the card with their phone’s camera or manually punch in the details. While functional, it’s not quite as seamless as it could be. However, based on findings in a recent app teardown by the folks over at Android Authority, Google looks poised to introduce a significantly quicker and more convenient method using NFC.

Digging into the latest Google Play Services beta (version 25.16.33), evidence points towards the development of NFC-based card enrollment. This means that soon, adding a compatible card could be as simple as tapping it against the back of your NFC-equipped smartphone. This new “Tap to add a card” option appears set to live alongside the existing camera scan and manual entry methods on the “Add payment method” screen. Code strings uncovered within the beta provide clues about the user experience:

• <string name="bc25_nfc_add_a_card">Tap to add a card</string>
• <string name="bc25_nfc_tap_card_details">Hold your card close to the back of your device until it vibrates </string>
• <string name="bc25_nfc_use_this_screen_text">Tap card to phone</string>

The workflow seems clear: initiate the process, hold your contactless card near your phone’s NFC reader, and let the technology do the heavy lifting. It’s likely the phone will read the card number and expiration date directly via NFC. For security, users will probably still need to manually enter the 3 or 4-digit CVV code found on the back of the card. Depending on the issuing bank, further verification steps might also be required after the initial tap, similar to the current setup process.

While this tap-to-add functionality would be new for Google Wallet, it’s not an entirely novel concept. Apple Wallet has offered a similar feature for some time, and certain banking apps also utilize NFC for card interactions. As with those implementations, it’s reasonable to expect some potential limitations. The feature might primarily support EMV-compliant cards – the standard chip-based cards from Europay, Mastercard, and Visa that enable both contact and contactless payments. It’s possible not every single contactless card will be compatible right out of the gate, though the specifics remain unclear as the code doesn’t detail compatibility yet.

There’s no official word on when this NFC enrollment feature might roll out to the stable version of Google Wallet. However, its appearance in the beta channel is a strong indicator that Google is actively developing it, and we could see it arrive in a future update, simplifying the process of getting your payment methods loaded and ready for tap-to-pay.