For decades, leaving the house meant checking for three things: keys, wallet and phone. Today, your wallet is often an optional extra!
Apple Pay on iPhones and Google Wallet on Android phones allow you to store eligible debit and credit cards digitally, then pay at contactless terminals using your phone or compatible smartwatch. Once set up, paying is much like tapping a physical card, except you first confirm it is you by using Face ID, a fingerprint or your device passcode.
But your digital wallet can hold far more than bank cards. Depending on the provider, you may also be able to add supermarket and retail loyalty cards, airline boarding passes, concert and sporting tickets, gift cards and public transport passes. Look for an ‘Add to Apple Wallet’ or ‘Add to Google Wallet’ button when checking in for a flight, buying a ticket or using a retailer’s app.
For beginners, it makes sense to start small. Add one frequently used bank card and perhaps a loyalty card. Use them a few times somewhere familiar before relying on your phone at an airport or busy event. You can still carry your physical cards while you build confidence.
Security is often the biggest concern, but digital payments have some useful safeguards. Apple Pay does not send your full card number to the merchant, while Google Wallet protects payment information using encryption and device security. Both systems require your phone to have security protections such as a passcode or screen lock, and payments generally require you to verify your identity.
Another concern can be what happens if your phone disappears. A locked phone does not simply become an open wallet. iPhone users can use Apple’s Find My service to mark a device as lost, which suspends cards used with Apple Pay. Android users can use Google’s device-finding tools to locate, lock or erase a missing phone; erasing it removes payment information stored for use on that device.
Despite the many advantages a digital wallet can provide, there are still good reasons to keep a slim backup wallet. Not every business accepts contactless payments, batteries go flat, and some cards or tickets may not support digital wallets. A physical bank card and some identification can be handy insurance.
Of course, going wallet-free doesn’t need to happen overnight. Think of your phone wallet as a convenient extra at first. Before long, you may find yourself patting your pockets for your phone – and wondering why you carried so much plastic for so many years.