December closed out 2025 with mobile wallets taking a more practical turn. Instead of headline-grabbing feature drops, the month was defined by refinements, broader merchant acceptance, and the steady march toward payments that work across more devices, apps, and borders.
In this edition, we cover Google Wallet’s quiet Play services polish, Apple’s expansion of Tap to Pay on iPhone into Singapore, and Samsung’s push to add day-to-day value through Money and Points and new digital car key support. We also zoom out to the global picture, where cross-border QR links advanced in Asia and Europe saw the first wave of new iPhone NFC wallets.
Table of Contents
Google Wallet
December was a low key month for Google Wallet overall, with no major new consumer features and no significant country launch reflected in public changelogs. The focus stayed on smaller user experience refinements and behind the scenes platform work.
Small UX Tweak and Developer Updates
In December, Google Wallet’s only publicly noted change was minor polish in Google Play services v25.48, including a clearer layout for in person presentation screens plus unspecified developer improvements to support digital wallet and payments flows in apps.
Apple Wallet
December has brought some interesting news and updates related to Apple Wallet, continuing its evolution in the mobile payments and digital key space. Here are the key highlights from this month:
Tap to Pay on iPhone launches in Singapore
Apple expanded Tap to Pay on iPhone to Singapore on December 2, enabling merchants to accept contactless payments using only an iPhone and a supported iOS app with no extra terminal required.
Apple says it works on iPhone XS or later on the latest iOS and supports payments from contactless cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets, with early partners including Adyen, Fiuu, HitPay, Revolut, Stripe, and Zoho, and Grab planned to add support in early 2026.
NFC Payments and Apple Wallet’s Role
As 2025 comes to a close, eMarketer reflects on the key trends in the payments industry and how their predictions played out. The year saw significant movement in areas like NFC technology in mobile wallets, the rise of BNPL services, and the growth of financial media networks (FMNs).
Their forecast about mobile wallet adoption held true, with Apple Pay and other services continuing to expand their NFC capabilities. Despite NFC partnerships still being limited in the U.S., mobile wallet usage surged globally, with over 31% of U.S. consumers now using digital wallets in-store.
Tesla Car Key Could Be Integrated with Apple Wallet
While unconfirmed, recent code references suggest Tesla could be added to Apple Wallet’s Car Key feature in the future. iPhone and Apple Watch users could soon be able to unlock and start their Tesla vehicles directly from the Wallet app.
This feature already works with other car brands, and the potential expansion to Tesla would be a significant step forward. While this isn’t confirmed yet, it’s likely that we’ll see more information on this feature in 2026.
Samsung Wallet
December kept Samsung Wallet moving with new value in Korea, expanded digital car key support, and a look ahead to CES 2026 “The First Look” in early January.
Samsung Wallet Money and Points Surpasses 1 Million Users in South Korea
Launched in October 2025, Samsung Wallet Money Points has quickly gained popularity in South Korea, surpassing 1 million users in under two months. The feature allows users to link their bank accounts directly to Samsung Wallet for easy payments without needing a debit card.
Samsung Wallet Points rewards users for each transaction, offering points that can be redeemed like cash for future purchases. Currently available in South Korea, Samsung plans to continue expanding the Wallet ecosystem with more features and benefits for users.
Samsung Wallet adds Porsche Digital Key
Samsung is expanding Samsung Wallet’s “car key” feature by adding support for select Porsche vehicles. Galaxy users will be able to lock, unlock, and start the Porsche Macan (model year 2026) using their phone, with Cayenne Electric support planned next.
Samsung says the rollout begins in Europe in December, followed by wider availability as Porsche’s launch timelines progress, with protections like secure on-device storage, sharing controls, and remote disable options through Samsung Find.
Rivian Digital Key lands in Samsung Wallet for Gen 2 R1S and R1T
Rivian’s latest vehicle software update adds support for a phone based Digital Key that can be stored in Samsung Wallet on compatible Galaxy devices.
The feature is rolling out with Rivian software version 2025.46 for second generation R1 models, letting owners unlock and start the vehicle with their phone and share access with others. Rivian notes you will need the Rivian app 3.8.0 or newer and Android 15 or later, with NFC and Bluetooth support on the phone.
Mobile Wallet Developments Worldwide
December’s biggest mobile wallet developments were less about new apps and more about connectivity. Cross border QR links expanded in Asia, and Europe saw the first real wave of iPhone tap to pay competition as NFC access opened up.
Cross border QR payments pick up speed in Asia
China and Vietnam officially launched bilateral QR code payments on December 2, letting Chinese visitors pay at VietQR accepting merchants using their existing mobile payment tools.
Later in the month, Cambodia and Laos launched Phase 2 of their cross border QR link on December 19. Lao citizens can scan KHQR codes at about 4.5 million Cambodian merchants using their mobile banking apps and pay in their own currency.
Visa-backed NFC wallets launch in Europe
On December 2, Visa said it enabled three new digital wallets in Europe that use NFC with Host Card Emulation on iOS, following iPhone NFC access opening up under the EU’s DMA. The first wave includes BBVA Pay (Spain), Klarna tap to pay across 14 countries, and Vipps MobilePay’s Visa-linked wallet starting in Norway.
