Living in a digital era has a lot of perks, like having a digital wallet that allows you to store your credit cards, tickets, and IDs. Google Wallet is just that and more. You may have privacy concerns when it comes to digital wallets, but Google has security features to ensure all your private information is protected.

The Future is Digital Wallets

You need to pick a payment method when you shop, eat at a restaurant, or purchase something online. Traditionally, it’s either through cash or a credit card, even today. However, the integration of seamless digital, non-contact payment transactions has become a regular choice for most people, especially with the popularity of Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology. It’s fast and easy, what’s not to like?

With Google Wallet, you can use your smartphone to store digital cards, tickets, and passes. Google Wallet will put all your essentials, like credit or debit cards, in one app and will save you the trouble of pulling out your physical wallet. Note that Google Wallet is different from Google Pay, since Google Pay is a service for making payments.

Nowadays, digital wallets appeal highly to tech-savvy customers who prefer contactless payment methods. With Google Wallet’s advanced security features that include encryption, it can decrease the potential risks of fraud. With one caveat, though, you still need to ensure that you browse the web securely and safely.

1
No More Forgetting Your Tickets

One of the advantages of using Google Wallet is being able to store tickets for events. This way, you can securely store it without having to scroll through your email when it’s time to present it to an event manager or security guard. What’s even better is that you can see all the tickets saved on the app’s home screen, to show you what event is happening on the exact day. You’ll never misplace your tickets ever again.

To add a ticket, open the Google Wallet app and click “Add to Wallet” on the main screen, and then “Everything Else” from the list of options:

From here, you’ll be prompted to take a picture, either by scanning the QR code or manually adding the ticket. You can capture the ticket and click “Done” once everything looks okay. Then, you can view it from your wallet’s home screen.

2
Store Your Boarding Passes, Travel Cards, Library Cards, and Gym Passes in One Place

If you book flights online, you usually end up with a dozen emails after you’re done booking your entire itinerary—from hotels to airport transportation. To make things smoother and stress-free, you can add all your tickets to Google Wallet. All you have to do, is open Google Wallet and find the emails with the QR code, and scan them to add them to your wallet. If you see an “Add to Google Wallet” sign either on your email or airline app, you can also just click on that.

When it comes to something as serious as airline tickets, I tend to take extra precautions and screenshot the ticket as well, just in case the airline app crashes or my phone dies. However, you don’t have to worry about your Google Wallet if you experience data or Wi-Fi issues. You can also add your travel cards as well, whether that’s a bus pass or your subway/metro card, which makes it very convenient.

3
Store Your Health Insurance Card Details

Your health is the most important asset you have. In many countries, it can be expensive when you get sick, and that’s where good health insurance comes into play. You can also save your insurance card details on Google Wallet. One caveat, though, the support for insurance cards is still limited for now and varies by provider and country.

Before you start, it’s best to check with your insurer if they’re included in the list of accepted insurers on Google Wallet. To add the pass to Google Wallet, go to the app and click “Everything Else.” You’ll then be prompted to add your insurance card by taking a picture of the QR code and then saving it by clicking “Done.” If you run into any problems, you may need to add the card to the insurance company’s official app first, or they may not support this feature yet.

Since health insurance cards are considered private passes in Google Wallet, you’ll be prompted to use additional security measures such as a fingerprint or PIN for verification and to access them.

4
Going Digital with Identity Documents

Have you ever forgotten to bring your wallet or purse? Based on my own experience, I bet you have. Dare I say that your wallet is almost as important as your phone? Not just for storing your money, but also for storing your driver’s license and ID issued by the government as well. The latter authenticates the validity of your existence.

So what if you do forget to bring your wallet and need to show your ID? Whether it’s to verify who you are to law enforcement or if you’re lucky enough to look young enough and need to show your bartender, you’re out of luck unless you’ve added your ID to Google Wallet, of course.

Although not universally accepted yet, a select number of countries and states have started to allow the use of the app, and the number of states allowing it is continuing to increase.

To add your ID to Google Wallet, just open the app and click on “Add to Wallet”, and choose “ID”. From here, you can pick whether you’d like to add a driver’s license or state ID. You’ll also need to select the state that issued your ID and verify your identification by following the on-screen instructions.

Once everything is done successfully, you’ll be able to view and access it on your Google Wallet.

5
Don’t Forget About Your Loyalty Cards

I’ve never been a huge loyalty card person since wallets only have a set number of slots to add your cards. You can run out of space fast. However, this all changed when I realized I could add all my loyalty cards to Google Wallet just by taking a picture of the barcode or by logging in to my loyalty card account.

To add a loyalty card, open Google Wallet and click on “Add to Wallet.” From here, you can select “Loyalty Card.” A list of loyalty programs will show up that you can pick from, or you can use the search bar to find the one you’d like to add. Some brands also allow you to sign up for a loyalty card directly from the Google Wallet app. How neat is that?

6
Use Your Fitbit to Make Contactless Payments

Do you have a Fitbit? You can now use it to make contactless payments with NFC technology. This used to be called Fitbit Pay; However, it’s been replaced by Google Wallet on compatible Fitbit models. To find out if your Fitbit is compatible, you can check out the list from Google here. All you need to do is go to “Wallet” in your Fitbit app device settings and then add a payment method.

Once you’ve set this up and want to make a payment, just hold your device near a contactless payment terminal and press and hold the designated button on your Fitbit. A vibration or check mark (depending on your Fitbit model) should confirm the payment.

7
Google Wallet Security Features

Security and privacy have never been more important than today, particularly with storing sensitive information and all the data breaches that we have experienced worldwide. Fortunately, Google takes care of this by using multiple different methods of security, including encryption and tokenization, meaning your actual card details aren’t stored or shared. This also means that each transaction generates a one-time-use security code to prevent fraud.

If your phone is lost or stolen, you can remotely lock or erase it using Google’s Find My Device so you can avoid anyone trying to get into your Google Wallet. You can also directly remove all your Google Wallet payment methods from your Google account settings remotely.

Google Wallet has saved me more times than I can imagine, and I bet it’ll save you, too. Using a digital wallet doesn’t mean you have to leave your physical wallet back at home; we aren’t quite there yet. If your phone dies, you won’t be able to access your digital wallet, so that’s a concern as well. However, you can’t beat the speed and convenience that Google Wallet provides. If you don’t like Google or want to consider your options, you can also check out Samsung Wallet.