After rebranding last year, Google Wallet is now introducing five new features designed to fully leverage the possibilities of the app. The updates include adding state IDs, saving passes, tickets, and more. These new features will allow users to save any pass that has a barcode or QR code directly to the Wallet app, providing a convenient method to digitize everyday items for quick access on their phones. This could include gym membership cards, transit QR tickets, parking passes, or e-commerce return QR codes.
In a collaboration with American health insurance company Humana, Google Wallet will now also support health insurance cards and other private passes. Users in the UK will be able to store their National Insurance Number in Google Wallet via the HMRC app.
In order to ensure the security of these cards and passes, Google has introduced a “private passes” labeling feature in the Wallet app. Furthermore, users can protect their private passes through their biometrics, PIN, and patterns.
Starting with Maryland, Google Wallet is now offering the ability to add driver’s licenses or personal IDs. The saved Maryland-issued IDs can be used at TSA PreCheck lines at select airports and for online verification services. In the coming months, residents of Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia are expected to gain access to this feature. Google also plans to add users’ company IDs and access badges to the Wallet, potentially simplifying access to buildings and cafeterias for many employees.
Lastly, Android phone users can save passes such as boarding passes and train tickets received through Google Messages directly to Google Wallet. Initially, this feature will be launched with Vietnam Airlines for boarding passes and Spain’s leading train operator, Renfe, for train tickets. More countries like Germany will soon be able to save their transit tickets to the Wallet for nationwide access to public transportation. In addition, restaurants using reservation systems like TagMe will be able to send reservation details to their customers that can be saved to the Wallet for future use.
With these new features, Google is aiming to decrease reliance on conventional wallets and increase consumer reliance on Android phones for convenience. In the upcoming weeks, Google Wallet will be available in additional countries worldwide, expanding its current reach of 60 nations.