Google Wallet, Google’s digital payment platform, has finally arrived in India after years of anticipation. Although its availability is currently limited, users can download the app from the Google Play Store. However, some encountered messages stating the app isn’t available in the country, while others managed to access it briefly. Tech Crunch reported on this development, indicating that Google intends to maintain both Google Pay and Google Wallet apps in India.
Google Wallet offers a comprehensive suite of features, allowing users to store various cards and currencies for convenient mobile payments worldwide. Unlike UPI-based apps like Google Pay, Paytm, and PhonePe, Google Wallet focuses on contactless payments through NFC-enabled devices. It supports debit and credit cards exclusively in India and requires NFC support on devices.
Google has clarified that the Wallet app has not been officially launched in India. Nonetheless, certain users have managed to download it from the Google Play Store within the country. The Google Wallet app facilitates contactless payments through tokenization, ensuring the secure storage of debit and credit card information by replacing actual card numbers with unique codes or virtual cards. Additionally, Google Wallet serves as a versatile digital wallet, capable of storing various items such as gift cards, gym memberships, event tickets, flight tickets, and more. The users with compatible Android smartwatches featuring Wear OS can access Google Wallet for contactless payments.