Google has launched a new service called Google Wallet in South Africa, which enables users to safely store their credit cards, loyalty cards, and boarding passes, as well as quickly and conveniently retrieve any of these items.
Customers are able to pay for items simply by tapping their phone against a point of sale system at the checkout counter when using the Google Wallet app, which keeps the information for a consumer’s credit or debit card and allows consumers to pay for items using their phone.
In South Africa, cardholders of partner banks like FirstRand Bank, Discovery Bank, Investec, Standard Bank, ABSA, and Nedbank may now add their information to the wallet and conduct contactless payments with their Android phones and Wear OS devices, according to Google.
It is anticipated that as Google moves forward with plans to replace physical wallets and keep up with the demand for rapid digitization, the list of objects that can be added to the wallet will expand.
“Millions of people use their mobile devices daily to tap and pay at stores, pay for public transportation, and use a variety of passes, making access to technology essential for economic development. At Google, we’ve discovered that when technology is accessible to anyone, amazing things can happen. We want to make digital wallets available to everyone by including everyone – a dynamic ecosystem of producers, developers, and users – through rapid, secure access to their daily necessities, said Alistair Mokoena, country director for Google South Africa.
Now available in 45 countries, including South Africa, Google announced the launch alongside launches in Moldova, Qatar, Serbia, Azerbaijan, and Iceland.
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