These 4 cool new Google Wallet features make it easier to track your purchases

Software or mobile apps fluctuate with updates and new features that eventually change how they work, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Most of Google’s products and apps follow this trend, from Android to Google Maps and everything in between, including Gemini, its AI platform. Google Play Services, a related app or service connected to its entire ecosystem, also receives updates, sometimes to improve the connected services. This is precisely what happened with a new update that changed many functions of Google Wallet. As part of Google Play Services version 26.40, many new features have been added, including Google Wallet, which introduces some pretty interesting updates.

Before we dive into the new features, let’s talk about the update itself. How do you get it? Updates to critical apps like Google Play Services are rolled out gradually as they become available. This latest update should be available soon, if not already. You can either open the Google Play Store and check for updates as you normally would: Profile icon (top right) > Manage apps & devices > Update all or See details under Available updates. You can also check individually in Android settings.

To do this, go to Settings > Apps > and find “Google Play Services” in the list of apps. You may need to enable “Show system apps” from the top right menu. Once you find Google Play Services, tap on it and scroll down to App Details in the Store. Tap on it and it should open the Google Play Store page for the Services app. If an update is available, you will see a blue Update button. If it is not available, you will have to wait a little longer.

Until now, if you wanted to manage your purchase receipts through Google Wallet to build a reliable paper trail, you had to enter the information manually. With this recent update, Google has now added an option to scan and add your receipts without any additional work. It’s not yet clear how exactly this will work, as Google hasn’t provided more details than you can find in the update’s release notes.

But presumably this new feature should tie into whatever is available through Google Wallet for tracking digital purchases. You can already easily track your orders and deliveries online with Wallet; why not receipts? Even if you’re not the type to scan and gather every receipt for every purchase, this is a welcome feature. Receipt tracking is essential for proof of purchase, discounts, warranties, and returns, and it simplifies taxes and helps you track personal and business expenses, especially if you use your accounts for work or a small business. Tracking your spending also helps you stick to your budget and identify areas where you can cut back, if necessary.

The idea of ​​Google Pay and Google Wallet is that you can use your added payment methods through virtually any store interface that supports them, including in your browser, like Chrome for Android. This update adds an option to bypass the payment request interface under certain conditions, allowing you to use transparent payments. It works when you provide the merchant with your name, email address, and phone number.

This makes sense, since you are already checking yourself with this information. Chrome also uses your Google account login data and Wallet data to speed up autofill in the browser. But it’s a small way Google is improving the overall mobile checkout and payment process.

In addition to this small improvement, Google has also improved the way it displays merchant names in your Google Wallet transaction notifications. In other words, it’s much easier to see who you paid and why, including where you made those transactions, when you view your purchase history. A little more clarity never hurts.

This is another feature that’s causing a bit of speculation, as we don’t yet know how Google plans to roll it out and the patch notes don’t offer any additional details. However, Google Wallet will now include an in-app message center to send alerts, updates, and notifications. Google will likely use it to provide critical financial updates, but it may also announce new Wallet features and share active promotions for you to take advantage of.

Android Authority spotted a similar updates section that Google was testing, which included personal purchase summaries and other notifications. Google hasn’t officially confirmed this yet, but this is likely how the new in-app message center will be structured.

With the latest Google Play Services update rolling out to most Android users, we won’t have to wait long to find out the finer details of these new features. They also seem to fit well with the broader scheme of the app and what it offers. If you don’t use Google Wallet regularly, you might want to check out some of its seriously overlooked features. You can store passports and boarding passes, public transport account details, event tickets and loyalty cards. At least it will slim down your wallet or purse; no more carrying large stacks of plastic or paper cards everywhere you go.