Tech titan Google on Wednesday launched the Google Wallet app for Android users in India, allowing them to securely store essentials like boarding passes, loyalty cards, event tickets, and public transport passes.
Photograph: Annegret Hilse/Reuters
The digital wallet, which becomes operational in India from Wednesday, comes as a complementary service to existing payment app Google Pay, a top official said.
“Google Pay is not going anywhere, it will remain our primary payment app, Google Wallet is specifically tailored for non-payment use cases,” Ram Papatla, GM and India Engineering Lead, Android at Google, said.
He said the idea behind the service was “to create an open software where carriers, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), and developers can build amazing products”.
For the new service, Google has partnered with 20 Indian brands in the likes of Air India, IndiGo, Flipkart, Pine Labs, Kochi Metro, PVR and INOX, and said more partners would be onboarded in the months to come.
Google Wallet will allow users to save movie/event tickets, access boarding passes, store metro tickets, store office/corporate badges, and digitise physical documents.
“Google Wallet offers users a single, organised location for fast, secure access to everyday essentials like boarding passes, loyalty cards, event tickets, public transport passes, gift cards, and more,” Google said in a statement.
Papatla further said the tech giant will surely ideate in future on building an all-in-one app that allows both payment and non-payment use cases.
He said the company’s top priority currently is value and engagement creation, onboarding partners, and gaining trust.
“Google Wallet is built on the foundation of security and privacy,” he said, adding that Google remains committed to its “promise of providing openness, choice, and safety”.
Google Wallet is currently operational in about 80 countries.
