If you thought that Android Pay had killed off Google Wallet, think again. Google has just rolled out an update web portal for the person-to-person payment service along with a refreshed Android app. The update brings a completely refreshed website for Wallet that is Material Design in nature and intuitive on sending or receiving funds from others. The app update mirrors this new look of the portal and it, as before, is simple to use. The app is certainly faster than the website and has some added security features like requiring a PIN to get into it. However, if you don’t have your phone handy, you now have an easy way to send or receive funds using the service.
The fact that Google continues to develop and promote Google Wallet is a good thing and it clearly has a place next to Android
Google Wallet Website
Pay. Fundamentally these two apps are aimed at different needs. Pay is for retail tap-and-go payments while Wallet is aimed for person-to-person payments, much like other services such as PayPal. When Google announced late last year that the two features would be separated, it was assumed that Wallet would die a death at some point. Clearly that isn’t the case.
If you have Google Wallet installed on your phone, you should see the OTA update for it over the course of the next few days. If you haven’t installed it or want to give it a go, it is free in the Play Store. Further, if you associate your debit card with Wallet, all transactions are free too.
