[4][5] The old Wallet app, with its functionality reduced to a peer-to-peer payments service, was rebranded Google Pay Send before it was discontinued as well in 2020.

The original version of Google Wallet allowed users to make point-of-sale purchases with their mobile devices using near-field communication (NFC) technology.

As a result, any gift cards, loyalty programs, and promotional offers stored in an older version of Google Wallet could no longer be used.

[11] The old Google Wallet still powered web-based Play Store purchases and some app-based peer-to-peer payments.

[11] In 2016, Google began a public trial in Silicon Valley of a related mobile app called Hands Free.

Instead, a customer announces that they wish to "pay with Google" and give their initials to the cashier, who verifies their identity with a photo previously uploaded to the system.

[38][39] On November 17, 2020, Google Pay was enabled by Mastercard in ten new European countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, and Romania.

[57] Only one class of NFC passes allows usage when the screen is unlit or the battery is depleted: car keys.

[58] Passes and cards stored in Wallet require varying levels of authentication in order to convey to a reader.

The user must remember to clear device-specific passes, such as transit cards, IDs, and keys, from their current devices.

[64] In its simplest form, an interaction (or transaction) between a pass and a system is facilitated by a 1D or 2D code, although it requires the customer to initiate the activity.

In addition to retailer-specific passes, Google Wallet also supports contactless student IDs that can be added through the Transact eAccounts and CBORD GET Mobile applications.

[65] Government-issued IDs are also supported in six American states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and New Mexico.

[75][76][77][78] Google Pay is a service within Wallet that allows for payments with select banks and card networks.

This service supports the Visa, Mastercard, and Elo networks, as well as via Pix, and is primarily intended for users that do not have NFC functionality in their Android-powered devices.

from being accessed on non-Japanese devices by restricting the initialization of the required third-party Osaifu-Keitai middleware apps on both Android & Wear OS.

[87][88] In turn, users with Japanese devices cannot access North American & European transit cards such as SmarTrip and Pop, though there is a workaround via previewing a route in Google Maps that uses the desired fare payment method, and selecting the banner that offers to add said card to Wallet.

[60] In addition, UWB functionality for car keys is limited to regions that allow the frequency to be broadcast in personal mobile devices by law.

Programs that support One Tap are conveyed at the same time as a payment card stored in Google Wallet.

Conversely, Two Tap programs are redeemed in a sequential manner, where a loyalty pass is scanned first, and then payment can be presented.

Transit cards that support direct provisioning can be issued within the Google Wallet app itself, without needing to download a separate third party application.

Some public transport systems listed here support skipping verification with Google Pay on Android, wherein the only requirement for transmitting a payment or transit card is to have the screen awake.

Similarly to a transit card, it will keep track of rides made on the system and offer fare caps.

These car models can be unlocked and started via NFC with select devices running Android 12/Wear OS 5 or later, most notably the Pixel 6 or later.

Once the credential is read, the ID holder must confirm the personal information they wish to share (full name, age, etc.)

Google has also announced plans for added credentials to be able to be requested by apps to present virtually in the future.

[132] Xiaomi 14T, Xiaomi 14T Pro Wearables: Fitbit Sense or later, Fitbit Versa 2 or later, Fitbit Charge 4 or later Google Account region must be set to Taiwan Must install Octopus Wallet app (which requires a Hong Kong phone number to sign up for) Must install Osaifu-Keitai app Google Account region must be set to Japan Must install Osaifu-Keitai app Wearables: Japanese models of Google Pixel Watch or later Japanese models of Samsung Galaxy Watch6 or later, Galaxy Watch Ultra Google Account region must be set to Japan Must install Osaifu-Keitai app