You’re in a nice restaurant with your beloved; perhaps both of you are enjoying a lovely steak. After a while, you raise your hand and ask the waiter for the bill. What could go wrong, right? Except you realize you left your wallet at home.

You can avoid these awkward moments by considering setting up a digital wallet. You can use it to digitize any physical loyalty card, ticket, or pass easily. This is made possible using Near-field communication (NFC) which allows devices to communicate wirelessly when in close range to each other. So even if you forget your wallet at home, it really doesn’t matter—or does it?

The Day I Realized I Still Needed My Normal Wallet

One day, as I was walking home from work, I stopped by my local shopping mall, where a pair of high-quality leather boots caught my eye. As I went in and tried them on, I couldn’t hold in the excitement. They looked amazing and had a sale going on that day—I couldn’t miss it. I grabbed my Google Pixel from my bag and realized my phone was dead. Oops. There’s no way I could have paid with Google Wallet now. I remembered that physical wallets still exist (thank God!) and gave the cashier my credit card instead.

That being said, it was also the day I forgot my portable power bank, which I rarely do. So setting up a Google Wallet and using it to purchase things is still useful for me. To me, it has been worth it because it has tons of benefits and features.

With the availability of tap-and-pay options today in many sectors, like restaurants, malls, and coffee shops, I will never have to worry about forgetting to bring cash (or my actual wallet) with me anywhere I go. Well, maybe within the cities that offer this choice. Although Google Wallet has been operational since 2011, I assume that not all establishments provide this service.

For this reason, I decided to switch my primary payment method to Google Wallet as it provides me with fast, seamless, and secure transactions. Just tap and go. Google Wallet also has a feature where I can choose to use my gift card or loyalty card when purchasing something instead of my balance, saving me some money. Plus, I like being able to integrate technology to make my life easier in various aspects of my life—including using ChatGPT for daily tasks.

Storing All ID Information Digitally—Is It Secure?

Before I decided to use Google Wallet to store confidential and sensitive information (such as my state ID, health card, and driver’s license), I first did my research. Being as privacy-conscious as I am, I couldn’t bear the thought of just using an app as is without knowing how it’s handling my personal data. Turns out, Google is using advanced encryption technology for Google Wallet’s security. Google Wallet will also ask for verification when new cards are added and sometimes during transactions when suspicious activity is detected. Another thing that I’m happy about is that all my sensitive data, stored either as credit cards or IDs, can be deleted remotely in the event my phone is lost or stolen.

Google Wallet’s security features go a little further in providing me with peace of mind about the safety of my sensitive information. This includes features like storing my card information in virtual account numbers instead of the actual ones (also known as tokenization). A decoy of some sort, if you will. It also has encryption integrated into every activity or transaction, like during payment or pulling up health card information, as well as verification methods in the form of fingerprint or face confirmation.

Bringing physical IDs with me is still important for particular situations, like when I’m driving. Who knows, I may have a traffic stop out of the blue. So, I need to present my driving license for real, not just the digital form. Currently, Google Wallet is not a sufficient solution for this. But at least I can use it to pay for gas, right? It’s the same situation for border crossings and travel in other countries. These digital documents are not yet fully accepted as official validation of an individual’s identity. But it is becoming a fast reality as more and more states are allowing digital IDs.

You Can’t Beat Effortless Entry With Digital Tickets

I’m a music fan, and to me, there’s nothing better than attending concerts to watch my favorite band or artists. It’s an exciting feeling. A little too much enthusiasm and I may just forget the one thing at home I shouldn’t—the tickets.

Fortunately, since I never forget my phone anywhere (funny how that works, right?) I can just use Google Wallet. All I have to do is present my digital ticket upon entry into the venue and enjoy the event. It’s that easy. Plus, going paperless feels great.

It’s the same when I travel. Sure, you have airline apps now that provide you with digital tickets, but what happens when your internet is wary? With Google Wallet, you don’t really need Internet or Wi-Fi, as long as you’ve saved the tickets on it beforehand.

You know, it amazes me to think that we sometimes forget to bring the important things, but not our smartphones. To avoid this, why not put all your essential things like credit cards, ID documents, and tickets on Google Wallet? No more forgetting to bring any one of those important things now. You can even add your passport to Google Wallet for U.S. passport holders. For flight check-ins, my digital ticket is accepted. So off I go.

What About Backups?

Say I have a new phone and want to transfer my Google Wallet details onto it, along with all my saved passes and credit cards. It would be a bit of a hassle for me to manually transfer each ID or document one by one to the new phone. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be the case. I can just log in and sync my Google account on both phones. It’s also a useful feature just in case my phone is lost or stolen.

Google Wallet Does Have its Limitations

In every app and system ever developed, there have always been limitations when comparing it to alternative tools. This also holds true for Google Wallet. Yes, it offers convenience in some areas; payment and storage of documents, in particular, can be faster and safer compared to using a physical wallet. But there are certain situations when these conveniences don’t apply, for example, during random road checkpoints. Officers will often ask for a driver’s license. This digital form of identification is not yet fully accepted. So, a physical ID is still necessary.

On the other hand, some financial transactions still need to be on a cash basis, namely, flea markets, fruit stands, and fish and meat markets. These businesses have not yet adapted to the technological process of accepting payment wirelessly through applications like Google Wallet. They have their reasons, sure. Perhaps they don’t know how to get set up to accept digital payments, or the fees to process digital payments are just too high.

All things considered, Google Wallet is a fairly practical and functional tool for you to check out. It doesn’t fully replace our traditional way of financial transactions by using cash, but it complements the process, thereby enhancing your experience. Perhaps it’s not this type of system that needs improvement, but government policies that can influence how the overall financial ecosystem will adapt to this mode of transaction. If you don’t like Google Wallet, you can always check out Samsung Wallet.

Going fully digital in all aspects of society will perhaps become a reality in the future. It may take decades, but that idea is not far from reality, given the technological growth we’re experiencing right now. I will continue to use Google Wallet. It’s seamless, secure, and fast. So go ahead and give it a try. It may just surprise you.