This month was less about flashy launches and more about wallets quietly levelling up.
Google brought tap-to-pay to the Philippines and tightened its Pix integration in Brazil, Apple moved from “coming soon” to a live passport-based Digital ID at TSA checkpoints, and Samsung used an Indonesia launch plus U.S. credit card plans to push Wallet deeper into its Galaxy ecosystem.
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Google Wallet
November wasn’t a blockbuster month for Google Wallet, but it still moved the needle in a few important ways. Google focused on quiet but meaningful upgrades: expanding availability (Philippines, Puerto Rico) and polishing the day-to-day Wallet experience with targeted feature and UX improvements.
International Expansion: Launch in the Philippines
Google Wallet saw both international expansion and user-focused improvements in November. On November 18, 2025, Google officially launched Google Pay/Wallet in the Philippines, enabling millions of Android users to make tap-to-pay NFC transactions for the first time.
The rollout was done in partnership with major local banks (e.g. China Bank, UnionBank, RCBC) and backed by regulator support, marking a significant milestone in the Philippines’ digital payments evolution. This launch is part of Google’s broader effort to bring Wallet to more countries, as reflected in the November Google Play Services update, which added support for Wallet in additional regions.
Mobile ID in Google Wallet Launches in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has launched mobile ID in Google Wallet, letting residents add their driver’s license or ID to supported Android phones. This makes Puerto Rico the eighth U.S. jurisdiction to support mobile ID in Google Wallet and brings it in line with Apple Wallet support already available on the island. Officials say it will speed up ID checks at places like TSA checkpoints while still requiring the physical card as backup.
To use it, residents need a valid license or ID issued after July 1, 2016, an Android 9+ device with Bluetooth and a screen lock. The setup happens in the Google Wallet app by scanning the ID and recording a short selfie video, with extra checks sometimes done via CESCO Digital or in person. The mobile ID can then be presented either by tapping near a compatible reader or showing a QR code, with users able to confirm what information they share each time.
Feature updates and UX improvements
On the features front, Google Wallet’s November update introduced new tools and streamlined existing ones. In Brazil, Google deepened integration with the country’s popular instant payment system Pix – users can now make Pix payments directly via Gboard (the Google keyboard) for faster transactions. Alongside this, Google retired its “Cards QR” feature in Brazil, likely signaling a shift toward standardizing on Pix and other native payment methods in that market.
Google also added the ability for users to report Wallet transactions that are linked to the wrong merchant, improving accuracy in payment history. For power users managing many passes, a new country dropdown for user-created passes was implemented, helping organize tickets and loyalty cards by region. These enhancements came with the latest Google Play services update (v25.45) and reflect Google’s ongoing focus on user experience and global interoperability in Wallet.
Developer note
Google’s Google Play services v25.46 (2025-11-24) also quietly enabled a link to new Wallet settings on the web and added UnionPay card scheme support for form autofill, further indicating its push for worldwide payment compatibility.
Apple Wallet
Apple Wallet kept its focus firmly on identity this month rather than payments. After moving U.S. passports from “coming soon” to a live Digital ID feature, Apple also expanded real-world usage with more states on board and Illinois joining the list of places where your ID can now live on your iPhone.
Digital ID Launch with U.S. Passports
Last month we talked about Apple announcing that U.S. passports would be coming to Apple Wallet “before the end of 2025.” In November, that moved from roadmap to reality, on 12 November, Apple launched passport-based Digital ID in Apple Wallet.
Users can now create a verified ID from their U.S. passport, store it on iPhone or Apple Watch, and present it at TSA checkpoints in 250+ U.S. airports for domestic flights. It still doesn’t replace a physical passport for international travel, but it’s now a live feature you can actually use, not just a future promise.
Growing Apple’s Digital ID Footprint
Alongside the passport launch, Apple quietly rounded out more of its digital ID coverage. As of November, 12 U.S. states plus Puerto Rico support adding driver’s licences or state IDs to Apple Wallet, and Apple’s first international ID, Japan’s “My Number” card is now available on iPhone.
In late November, Illinois went live with IDs in Apple Wallet, letting iPhone users add their driver’s license or state ID and use it at select TSA checkpoints at O’Hare and Midway, as well as at bars, restaurants, and other age-check venues (with a physical ID still recommended as backup).
Together with the new passport-based Digital ID, that positions Apple Wallet much more clearly as a digital identity wallet, not just a payment app.
Samsung Wallet
Samsung Wallet spent November less on flashy new tricks and more on widening its footprint and tightening its ecosystem, launching in Indonesia, sketching out a U.S. credit card play, and quietly making tap-to-pay work for more banks in India.
Indonesia Launch and “Ditch the Physical Wallet” Positioning
Samsung made a strategic move in November by launching Samsung Wallet in Indonesia for the first time. From 9 November, Galaxy users with supported devices such as the Galaxy Z Fold7, Z Flip7 and S25 series can store membership cards, boarding passes, digital car keys and other credentials in one place.
Samsung’s launch messaging leaned heavily on hardware tie-ins and security: foldables make QR codes and passes easier to show at gates, the Flip’s cover screen enables quick access without opening the phone, and digital car key partnerships with brands like BMW, MINI and BYD are protected by Knox. The overall pitch is clear – Wallet is meant to be a realistic replacement for a physical wallet in another major Asian market.
Samsung’s U.S. Credit Card and Financial Ecosystem Plans
Samsung is also laying the groundwork for a more Apple-style financial ecosystem. Reports point to late-stage talks with Barclays on a co-branded Samsung credit card in the U.S., running on Visa and tightly integrated with Samsung Wallet.
Internal plans suggest this could be the anchor for a broader “Samsung Cash” offering, spanning cashback rewards, high-yield savings, digital prepaid accounts and even BNPL-style products. With around 18.6 million Samsung Wallet users already in South Korea but a smaller footprint in the U.S., this card-plus-services approach is aimed at deepening loyalty among Galaxy users and making Wallet a central hub for their financial activity.
Incremental Wallet Improvements in India
In India, Samsung spent November tightening the nuts and bolts rather than announcing headline features. It added support for credit and debit cards from more banks, including AU Small Finance Bank, for NFC tap-to-pay, so more Indian Galaxy users can pay at physical terminals with Samsung Wallet.
These changes build directly on October’s India-first updates, which introduced UPI onboarding during device setup, biometric authentication for UPI, support for saved cards in online payments and Forex prepaid cards. Taken together, they show Samsung combining local rails like UPI with contactless cards to stay competitive in one of the world’s most crowded digital payments markets.
Mobile Wallet Developments Worldwide
November wasn’t just about the big platforms, there was plenty happening in the wider wallet ecosystem too.
From new cross-border QR rails in Asia to deeper BNPL integrations and fresh data on global wallet growth, the underlying infrastructure of digital payments kept evolving in the background.
Cross-Border QR Payments in ASEAN
Southeast Asia’s QR interoperability jumped again on November 12 with the launch of cross-border QR payments between Cambodia and Singapore. In Phase 1, Cambodian travelers in Singapore can use local banking apps (like ACLEDA’s Super App) to scan SGQR merchant codes and pay directly in Khmer riels.
Next phases are expected to let Singaporean users scan Cambodian QR codes, with plans also in motion to link Cambodia’s QR system to India. It’s another concrete step toward QR-based cross-border payments becoming standard for everyday spend in the region.
Visa’s “Scan to Pay” QR Network
Visa rolled out its “Scan to Pay” QR service across Asia-Pacific on the same day, letting millions of merchants accept QR payments via participating wallet and banking apps over the Visa network. A QR code effectively becomes a generic acceptance point rather than tied to one local app.
Consumers can keep using the apps they already use at home while Visa handles routing and settlement behind the scenes. For merchants, it widens who can pay by QR without extra integrations; for users, QR starts to feel like a single regional system rather than a patchwork of local schemes.
BNPL Integrations Inside Wallets
Buy Now, Pay Later continued to move deeper into wallets in November. One major BNPL provider extended its instalment option to more European markets, letting shoppers in Denmark, Spain, and Sweden choose to split payments directly from their main wallet at checkout, with France next in line.
The direction of travel is clear: BNPL is shifting from separate apps and “pay later” buttons into the core wallet experience. That makes instalments just another tap next to cards and balances, and gives BNPL providers more usage without owning the whole checkout flow.
Surging Digital Wallet Adoption
Fresh research released in November projects digital wallet users rising from about 4.4 billion in 2025 to over 6 billion by 2030, roughly three-quarters of the global population using a wallet. Growth from here is less about basic adoption and more about making wallets sticky.
To stand out, providers are leaning on features like BNPL, virtual cards, loyalty and rewards, and simple account-like services for the underbanked.
In short, wallets are steadily shifting from “just a way to tap or scan” into the main interface for everyday payments and light financial services.
