How do you utilize your phone? Do you use it for browsing the internet, playing games, accessing favorite apps, or watching videos? Maybe even for making phone calls, which is a bit old-fashioned? Regardless of your preferences, you likely also use your phone for making payments and displaying boarding passes or event tickets. This is where Google Wallet comes in, as it has just introduced a new feature that the iPhone Wallet doesn't have: the ability to automatically add linked passes.
Abner Li from 9to5Google has recently unveiled that the new feature is coming soon. It's logical: one of the most convenient ways to utilize your smartphone is by tapping it to make a payment at a card reader or to display a boarding pass at an airport. It's much simpler than searching for your wallet or locating the thin paper strip given by the airline there are numerous things to consider in the unfamiliar world of an airport, so only having to manage your phone is a benefit.
Google Wallet has occasionally fallen behind Apple Wallet because many tickets, passes, and other items are not available in Google's preferred format. However, this has recently changed with the addition of a new feature.
Now, Google has introduced the option to connect passes. By accessing your profile details in the top right corner of Google Wallet and selecting Wallet settings, you will find a new feature called Passes. This feature is enabled by default and allows pass providers to automatically add related event tickets, promotions, offers, and more to your existing passes.
The new feature works by allowing developers to send additional passes to users who already have their existing pass in Google Wallet. For example, if you have a loyalty card on your phone and a new offer becomes available, it can be automatically sent to your Wallet. Similarly, if a boarding pass gains the option of a meal voucher, it can be delivered to you.
This could potentially be a valuable addition with the right offer, especially since Apple’s Wallet does not currently provide this feature. While passes can be shared between iPhones, pass providers are unable to update passes in this manner.
The app also introduces new features such as verification settings for public transport, allowing the phone to prioritize transit payment cards before resorting to credit or debit cards only if no transit card is available. By activating transit cards without verification, it streamlines interactions on public transport. This feature was introduced in late March.