Google Wallet in India
In a strategic move, Google has introduced Google Wallet to the Indian market. This digital wallet is designed to securely store various passes, tickets, and other forms of personal identification, such as boarding passes, gift cards, and loyalty cards. However, it’s worth noting that Google Wallet in India will not be used for payment transactions.
In the Indian context, Google Pay will continue to manage payment functionalities, including card and UPI transactions. This dual-app strategy is unique to India, as Google Wallet has subsumed Google Pay’s payment features in other global markets, streamlining the process under a single application.
The launch of Google Wallet in India brings a suite of conveniences to users. They can now easily save movie and event tickets from partners like PVR and Inox, manage boarding passes with airlines such as Air India, and redeem loyalty points or gift cards from various shopping partners. Transit tickets and corporate badges can also be digitized, enhancing the travel and workplace experience. Additionally, Google Wallet can automatically organize important tickets from Gmail, provided the smart personalization settings are enabled.
For Pixel device users in India, the Google Wallet app will come pre-installed, and they can even add it as a lock screen shortcut for quick access. Unfortunately, Google Wallet’s functionality will not extend to wearables in the region, limiting its use to smartphones only.
Google Pay will coexist alongside Google Wallet in India
Google Pay remains the primary app for payments in India, with Google Wallet serving as a digital repository for access-related data. Users looking to make payments via NFC will need to use Google Pay, which supports such transactions.
Google keeps complicating Google Wallet and Google Pay in its ecosystem
Google’s history with digital payment apps has been somewhat convoluted. The company initially launched Google Wallet in 2011, followed by Android Pay in 2015. These services were later merged into Google Pay in 2018. In India, Google introduced Tez in 2017, a service tailored for UPI payments, which was rebranded as Google Pay in 2018.
Despite the global consolidation of payment features into Google Wallet, India and Singapore retain separate apps for Google Pay and Google Wallet. This decision is likely influenced by Google Pay’s popularity in India for daily UPI transactions. Google’s strategy reflects a desire to maintain brand recognition while introducing new functionalities through Google Wallet.
As Google moves forward, the tech community anticipates a more streamlined approach to its app ecosystem, reducing confusion and enhancing user experience.
