Google Wallet, formerly known as Google Pay (and before that, Android Pay), is the primary tap-to-pay service for Android devices. Google has now revealed a few new features that will be rolling out soon.
First, you’ll soon be able to take a photo of any card or pass with a barcode or QR code and save it to Google Wallet. This is a feature that Samsung Wallet (which was also recently renamed) has had for a while now, and it should be useful for all cards and passes that don’t officially support Google Wallet or other digital platforms. When you need to use it, you simply open the Google Wallet app and select the correct card or pass, and the barcode or QR code will appear on the screen.
Google is also working on supporting health insurance cards, which are stored as a “private pass” and can only be viewed with a fingerprint or PIN. The company said in a post, “Google and Humana are developing a digital version of their health insurance card to store in Google Wallet. This will give Humana members a convenient way to access their insurance information quickly and securely from the palm of their hand. And in the UK, people will be able to store their National Insurance Number in their Wallet from the HMRC app.”
There are a few other improvements that are in the works or already available, but they won't apply to everyone. The US state of Maryland now supports storing state IDs and driver's licenses in Google Wallet, with the same functionality coming to residents of Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia "in the coming months." Google is also testing support for corporate brands in Google Wallet.
If you don't already have Google Wallet — many Samsung Galaxy phones don't ship with it pre-installed — you can download it from the Play Store.
Information source: howtogeek.com
