In May, during its annual Google I/O conference, Google said it would combine Google Pay with several features scattered across other apps into a brand new app: Google Wallet.
Now, Google Wallet is officially live and available to download in 39 countries – though it will work a little differently in some markets.
Google Wallet combines payments with the ability to save vaccine cards, transit and event tickets, and boarding and loyalty passes. The features are similar to what Apple offers with its Wallet, but Google’s version has certain advantages, such as deep integration with other Google apps like Maps.
Credit: Google
The name will be confusing for some users, given that Google already launched an app called Google Wallet back in 2011, only to merge its features into Google Pay. Now, with Pay (mostly) folding into Wallet, it’s the other way round.
Now for the other confusing part. In most of these markets, Google Pay will simply become Google Wallet via an automatic update. But in the U.S. and Singapore, Google Wallet will be available for download as a separate app from the Google Play Store, and will continue to co-exist with the Google Pay app. According to Google, this is for people who want “deeper payment experiences such as viewing and managing their transactions, making P2P payments, and saving money with offers.”
