Did you wake up seeing double – Google Wallet?
Don’t panic. Read on.
You’re not alone. Google recently announce a NEW Google Wallet app for Android. Which you might realize is exactly the same name as their existing Google Wallet app. The icons even look similar, although the NEW version is a lot more in line with Google’s (Alphabet’s) new branding. See below.
1. THE NEW GOOGLE WALLET APP
The NEW Google Wallet app will replace the old one (and your leather wallet), and updates the overall functionality of the app. Instead of storing cards and mobile wallet content, it will sync with a credit or debit card and allow you to send and receive payments. It’s a peer-to-peer payment gateway, in direct comparison to services like PayPal, Venom and Square Cash.
2. THE OLD GOOGLE WALLET APP – SOON TO BE ANDROID PAY
The OLD Google Wallet app will soon be renamed and transformed. It will become Android Pay, a place to store Credit and Debit cards, loyalty cards and more. This will also be used to make mobile payments in stores. Previously, you used Google Wallet and tap and Pay for this feature.
3. MOBILE WALLET LOYALTY CONTENT AND ANDROID PAY
Payments made in Android Pay can also soon be directly linked to loyalty content; coupons loyalty cards, member cards…etc. Which means if you have a specific piece of mobile wallet or digital loyalty content in your phone, you won’t need to find it to redeem it. Android Pay will recognize the store you are in and simultaneously redeem or apply loyalty content stored in your phone. So keep creating that amazing mobile loyalty content
4. PREPARING FOR ANDROID PAY – COMING SOON
It’s coming. In the next 7 days it will roll out, as an automatic update to your existing OLD Google Wallet App. As long as you have “automatic updates” activated on your Android phone, it should update. If not, keep checking your Google Play store for it.
5. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR APPLE DEVICES?
Google Wallet will soon be removed from Apple devices. You wont be able to download it from the App store on iOS anymore. But don’t worry about your existing Google Wallet content or anything you’ve delivered to Apple users. All this content should migrate to Apple’s Passbook (soon to be renamed Apple Wallet).
6. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR DEVELOPERS AND MERCHANTS?
Content issuers (not using PassKit software) will still need to integrate with their POS and send a separate API call for Android Pay and Google Wallet content updates to update the mobile wallet content on redemption/action in store or at the point of sale.
One clear benefit we can offer, however, is that PassKit is device agnostic. Thus, you only require a single standardized call to our API and we take care of the rest, no matter the wallet or device the user is using. One call for Apple and Android content, instead of two separate ones.
In essence, with PassKit you could deliver a piece of mobile wallet loyalty content to Apple and Android devices (Google Wallet / Passbook / Android Pay…etc) and only require one API call at the POS. Rather than figuring out or developing/dealing with multiple calls, one for each device.
KEY NEW GOOGLE WALLET TAKEAWAYS
- Update your OLD Google Wallet App to get Android Pay
- Download the NEW Google Wallet App to use Peer-to-peer transactions
- Check Google Wallet content on iOS has migrated to Passbook (Apple Wallet) or PDF
- Speak to PassKit if you want a simpler process for delivering, managing, updating, and redeeming mobile wallet loyalty content.
