Our smartphones have become essential digital wallets, and we no longer need to carry around physical cards. With Google Wallet and Samsung Pay at the top of the tap-to-pay spectrum, choosing the one that best suits your needs can be difficult. Both apps work with most Android smartphones and your favorite Android smartwatch. Choosing the right one depends on your needs.
Both tap-to-pay systems allow Android users to easily make payments using NFC (near field communication), but their functionality and device compatibility differ. Here’s what Google Wallet and Samsung Pay offer:
Google Wallet and Samsung Pay: A brief history
Samsung Pay and Google Wallet have undergone several changes over the years. Here’s everything you need to know about this ever-changing term.
samsung pay
Samsung Pay was launched in 2015 and rebranded to Samsung Wallet in some countries in June 2022. The new app has integrated the Samsung Pay app and the Samsung Pass app to create a hub for everything related to payments, digital ID, digital keys, and loyalty programs. Samsung Galaxy mobile phone. Even though the app functions similarly to Samsung Wallet, the name was not changed in South Korea.
Google Wallet
Google launched Google Wallet in 2011 and Android Pay in 2015. These apps were merged into his one app (Google Pay) in 2018 and renamed to Google Wallet in 2022. Currently, Google Wallet is the globally dominant name for this app. The action of making a payment through a card stored in your wallet is called Google Pay.
Google Pay is scheduled to shut down in 2024, and its core functionality will be absorbed into Google Wallet. This is why he is one of our favorite wallet apps for Android. Although the name is different, his Google Payments app today has almost the same functionality. The following apps are the ones referenced throughout this article.
Think of Google Wallet as an all-in-one digital companion for your Android device. Enhanced to process tap-to-pay transactions (similar to Google Pay) and securely store essentials like loyalty cards, boarding passes, digital keys, and driver’s licenses (in supported regions). Masu.
How to add and remove credit cards from Google Wallet
Add or remove credit cards in seconds
Installation and device integration
The big difference between Samsung Pay and Google Wallet is the supported devices. If you have a Samsung phone, you can install any payment service. If you own another Android device or iOS, you can only use Google Wallet. Samsung Pay is locked to Galaxy smartphones only. Google Wallet is not available on iPhone.
Regional availability and local card support
Samsung Pay is available in over 24 countries and Google Wallet is available in over 80 countries. Both work with almost all cards in the US. Most of the new banks are small local networks and credit unions. With so many supported banks, it’s hard to find one that’s not on the list.
Google Wallet and Samsung Pay support membership cards, gift cards, and transit passes in several locations. Some airlines are adding flight tickets. However, the app relies on your phone number for login.
Online and in-person payment options
Google Wallet and Samsung Pay support NFC technology, allowing you to make physical payments by tapping your NFC-enabled Android smartphone to a compatible card reader. Not all merchants have NFC-enabled payment terminals, so this is not always an option.
Samsung phones previously had a technology called MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) that pushed magnetic stripe data from the card to non-NFC devices. The latest Samsung Galaxy S24 series does not have this feature. Samsung moved away from that with the Galaxy S21 family when it ended its MST support in the US, and one of his Samsung advantages over Google Wallet is gone.
When it comes to online payments, many retailers have adopted both platforms as payment gateways, and the number continues to grow. Google Wallet is the most commonly accepted platform.
How to add your driver’s license or state ID to Google Wallet
It is convenient to have a digital ID if you can use it.
NFC payments are a secure option
NFC payments are extremely secure. If your phone is secured with a code or biometric unlock method, it adds an extra layer of authentication and NFC is more secure than a physical credit card. With NFC payments, your actual credit card number is not stored on your phone. Instead, you will be assigned a virtual card number, which the card reader will recognize when you tap to use your payment. This makes it harder for the actual card number to be compromised at his POS level. Additionally, both offer remote device wipe in case of loss or theft.
Samsung Pay may have better data security than Google Wallet. Both services have built-in data encryption and authentication. Samsung Pay benefits from an additional layer of protection with Samsung Knox. This defense-grade security platform is built into many Samsung devices, from the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Also available on some Galaxy Tab tablets, M-series phones, and A-series phones. Both services offer great security, but Samsung Pay’s integration with Knox gives you a slight edge.
How to add and remove credit cards from Google Wallet
Add or remove credit cards in seconds
Manage your benefits with your digital wallet
Samsung Pay and Google Wallet support gift cards and membership cards. Samsung offers discounts and special deals (which may be spam), and retailers also offer discounts in their apps. Google Wallet offers more powerful perks, cashback from multiple merchants, and a variety of in-store and online coupons.
The best part about Samsung Pay is Samsung Rewards. You can earn points while shopping with this service and later redeem them through purchases on the Samsung app or official website. Google Wallet has plenty of rewards cards, coupons, and other perks, but it doesn’t have its own rewards system.
Google Wallet or Samsung Pay: Which should you use?
The choice between Google Wallet and Samsung Pay depends on your device and spending patterns. If you own a top-of-the-line Samsung device, you can use Samsung Pay, but Google Wallet is often accepted by a wider range of merchants. Both apps can function simultaneously on your device. If you decide that Wallet is better suited to your needs, you can easily disable Samsung Wallet (and Pay) on your Galaxy smartphone.
