Google Wallet Beyond Payments

What Google Wallet Holds

Think of Wallet as the billfold in your pocket -- only it never gets fat and never falls apart. Beyond credit and debit cards, it can carry a whole range of everyday passes.

• Boarding passes for flights
• Tickets for concerts, ballgames, plays, and movies
• Rewards and loyalty cards from stores and pharmacies
• Transit cards and passes for buses, trains, and subways
• Driver's license or state ID in a growing number of states
• Car keys and hotel keys on supported cars and hotels

Opening Wallet and Looking Around

Google Wallet comes on most Android phones. Let us open it and get comfortable before we add anything.

In most cases you do not add passes from inside Wallet. Instead you tap an Add to Google Wallet button inside another app or in an email, and the pass drops into Wallet for you.

• Find the colorful Wallet icon in your apps and tap it once.
• Your cards and passes appear in a list, one under another.
• Tap any card or pass to bring it up full-screen and see its details.
• Tap the back arrow, or swipe, to return to the list.

Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet

If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, you may see two similar apps. Here is the plain difference so you are not confused.

Everything in this guide is about Google Wallet, which works the same on Samsung and Pixel phones. If a store or app offers an Add to Google Wallet button, use that. If you prefer Samsung Wallet, the ideas here still apply -- the buttons just look a little different.

• Google Wallet is made by Google and works on nearly all Android phones.
• Samsung Wallet is made by Samsung and comes on many Galaxy phones.
• Both can hold payment cards, tickets, boarding passes, and more.
• You do not need both. Pick the one you find easier and stick with it.

Adding a Boarding Pass

No more hunting for a printout the morning of your flight. Once you check in, your boarding pass can live safely in Wallet.

Open Wallet and look for your boarding pass in the list. Tap it to confirm the flight details look right.

• Check in through the airline's own app (like Delta or United). Look for an Add to Google Wallet button and tap it.
• Or open the airline's check-in email and tap the same Add to Google Wallet button inside it.
• The pass drops into Wallet, showing your flight, gate, and seat.

Using Your Boarding Pass at the Airport

At security and at the gate, you will show your pass instead of handing over paper. Here is how it goes.

Your boarding pass can appear as a reminder on your phone as your flight nears. A quick tap opens it -- no digging required.

• Open Wallet and tap your boarding pass so it fills the screen.
• Hold the screen under the scanner -- there is a small red light or glass window.
• It reads the square barcode. You will hear a beep or see a green light.
• Do this at security and again when boarding.

Event, Concert, and Movie Tickets

Tickets for shows, ballgames, and movies work just like boarding passes -- add them once, then show your phone at the door.

Open Wallet, tap the ticket, and hold the barcode up to the usher's scanner. That is all there is to it.

• Buy through a trusted seller's app or website (like Ticketmaster or Fandango).
• Look for an Add to Google Wallet button on the confirmation page or email.
• Tap it, and the ticket lands in Wallet with the date, time, and seat.

Adding a Store Rewards Card

Those little plastic and paper loyalty cards -- for the grocery store, the pharmacy, the coffee shop -- can live in Wallet so you always have them at checkout.

At checkout, open Wallet, tap the rewards card, and let the cashier scan the barcode on your screen before you pay.

• Many stores' own apps have an Add to Google Wallet button for your rewards card. Tap it.
• Or open Wallet, tap Add to Wallet, and choose a loyalty card to scan the barcode on your plastic card.
• Once added, it appears in your Wallet list like any other pass.

Transit Cards and Passes

In many cities, Wallet can hold the card or pass you use to ride buses, trains, and subways -- so you tap your phone at the turnstile instead of a plastic card.

At the turnstile or reader, hold the top of your phone near the pad. It taps you through -- often without even unlocking the phone.

• Open Wallet and tap Add to Wallet.
• Choose Transit and pick your city's system, if it is listed.
• Follow the steps to set it up and add money to it.

Adding a Driver's License or State ID

A growing number of states let you add your driver's license or state ID to Wallet for use at certain airport checkpoints and businesses.

A digital ID does not replace your plastic license. Always keep the physical card with you, especially when driving.

• Open Wallet, tap Add to Wallet, and look for ID card.
• If your state takes part, follow the steps -- you will scan your physical ID and take a short video of your face to prove it is you.
• The ID is added securely and privately.

Car and Hotel Keys

On some newer cars and at some hotels, Wallet can even act as a key -- unlocking the door with a tap of your phone. This one depends on your equipment.

This is a nice extra if your car or hotel supports it, but it is not something most folks need. Your regular keys work perfectly well.

• Car keys: Certain car makers let you add a digital key through their app, then unlock and start the car with your phone.
• Hotel keys: Some hotels let you add a room key to Wallet so you tap in at your door.
• Both are set up through the maker's or hotel's own app, not directly in Wallet.

Insurance and Vaccination Cards

Keeping a copy of your insurance card or vaccination record in Wallet means you always have it handy at the doctor's office or pharmacy.

If your provider does not offer a Wallet card, you can still snap a clear photo of the front and back with your camera as a backup.

• Some insurers' apps offer an Add to Google Wallet button for your member card.
• Vaccination records from a pharmacy or health provider may also offer Add to Google Wallet.
• Once added, they sit in your Wallet list for quick reference.

How Passes Appear at the Right Time

This is the feature people love most. Wallet is smart about time and place, so the pass you need often appears on its own -- no searching.

When a pass appears as a notification, just tap it. It opens full-screen, ready to scan -- no need to hunt through the app.

• Your boarding pass can appear as a reminder as your flight approaches.
• A concert ticket may surface when you arrive at the venue.
• A coffee rewards card can pop up when you walk into that shop.

Removing an Old or Expired Pass

After a trip or a show, that pass has done its job. Clearing out old passes keeps your Wallet tidy and easy to read.

Wallet often tucks expired passes away on its own. You may see an offer to clear out old ones -- it is safe to let it.

• Open Wallet and tap the pass you want to remove.
• Tap the three-dots menu in the corner.
• Choose Remove pass (or Delete).
• Confirm, and it is gone from your list.

Adding Passes Safely

Wallet is very safe by design, but scammers try to trick people into adding fake passes. A little caution keeps you well protected.

• Add passes from the official app of the airline, store, or venue.
• Or from an email you were expecting after a real purchase.
• Look for the genuine Add to Google Wallet button.

Organizing Your Passes

When several passes stack up, a little tidying makes the ones you use most easy to grab.

A shorter list is far quicker to flip through when you are standing at a counter with a line behind you. Clearing out old flights and shows takes just a moment.

• Open Wallet so you see your full list of passes.
• Remove passes you no longer need (see page 15).
• Keep your most-used cards where you can spot them quickly.

Sharing a Pass or Ticket

Bought two concert tickets or a boarding pass for a travel companion? Many passes can be shared straight to a family member's phone.

Some tickets are locked to one person and cannot be passed along -- that is the seller's rule, not a fault with your phone.

• Open the pass and tap the three-dots menu or a share button.
• If sharing is allowed, choose Share.
• Send it by text or email to the person going with you.
• They tap it and add it to their own Wallet.

When a Pass Will Not Scan

Once in a while a scanner has trouble reading your screen. These simple fixes clear up almost every case.

If it truly will not read, ask the staff member to look you up by name or confirmation number. They can almost always help.

• Brighten the screen. A dim screen is the most common culprit -- turn brightness way up.
• Clean the screen with a soft cloth so the barcode is crisp.
• Hold it steady and flat, a few inches from the scanner.
• Make sure it is the right pass -- tap the correct ticket so its barcode fills the screen.

Getting the Most From Wallet

A few simple habits will make Wallet feel like second nature -- and keep it working smoothly for you.

You do not have to add everything at once. Pick the one pass you use most -- often a boarding pass or grocery rewards card -- and grow from there.

• Add a pass as soon as you buy, so it is ready when you need it.
• Clear out old passes after each trip or event.
• Keep your grocery and pharmacy rewards cards handy in Wallet.
• Keep your screen brightness easy to reach for quick scanning.

What's in the 27-page PDF

• Pages 3-5: What Wallet holds, finding your way around, and the Samsung Wallet note
• Pages 6-8: Boarding passes at the airport, and event and movie tickets
• Pages 9-10: Store rewards cards and transit cards
• Pages 11-13: Driver's license and ID, car and hotel keys, insurance and vaccination cards
• Pages 14-16: How passes appear, removing old ones, and staying safe
• Pages 17-20: Organizing, sharing, fixing scan trouble, and good habits
• Pages 21-22: A quick cheat sheet and a plain-English word list

Why I wrote this

I write these as printable handouts because a guide you can keep in a drawer beats a web page you have to find again. No jargon, no judgment, no rushing. If you'd rather have someone sit beside you and go through it together, that's a flat $99 first visit with the 30-day follow-up included — serving Portage County from Atwater, Ohio. — Bill