What's the difference between Google Pay and Google Wallet?

The history of Google Wallet and Google Pay has led to a great deal of confusion.

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Digital wallets and NFC-based contactless payment methods are all the rage, making for one of the decade's biggest leaps in tech convenience. Not only do these measures help users pay fast and travel light, but digital wallets can be even safer than physical ones. That's not to say, though, that there can't be any confusion with digital payment options — with the differences between Google Pay and Google Wallet being a key example.

Google Wallet has long been available on Android devices, but under many distinct guises. Initially revealed as a peer-to-peer payment system in 2011, Google Wallet has undergone a number of metamorphoses — from Android Pay in 2015, to Google Pay 2018 and back to Google Wallet in 2022, which is where the app stands at present. All that merging and renaming has made things a little unclear.

The difference between Google Wallet and Google Pay

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A common problem with Google Wallet is the confusion surrounding where it ends and Google Pay starts, which is rooted in the fact that Google Pay used to be a standalone app. These days, the only app in this equation is Google Wallet, which is an app that stores cards digitally (as well as vouchers, boarding passes, gym and library cards, and more). Google Wallet is what allows Google Pay, a payment processing system, to work; cards stored in Google Wallet can be used in Google Pay payments.

The original Google Pay app has been completely replaced by the Wallet app. Now, Google Pay is an option that will pop up during online transactions (as opposed to something like PayPal or a direct insertion of card details). Google Pay is also a way for an Android phone to make contactless payments with NFC technology.

The function of Google Pay and Google Wallet

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Both uses of Google Pay require a card to make the payment within an attached Google Wallet, so Google Pay is now more of a feature of Google Wallet rather than a distinct entity. These features chiefly manifest on Android phones, where Google Wallet and its attached Google Pay feature can carry out both online and NFC transactions. However, Google Wallet can also be accessed via its online website, allowing you to use Google Pay across a variety of devices for online purchases.

Google Wallet and Pay aren't the only way to handle payments on Android phones. Samsung phones can use both Google and Samsung digital wallets — and can have both installed at the same time — to take advantage of NFC payments via either platform. If you're on a Pixel or a Motorola phone, though, Google will still be more-or-less your only option.