What is the difference between Google Pay and Google Wallet?

Digital wallets and NFC-based contactless payment methods are all the rage, representing one of the biggest technological advancements of the decade. Not only do these measures help users pay quickly and travel light, but digital wallets can also be even more secure than physical wallets. That’s not to say, however, that there can’t be any confusion with digital payment options – the differences between Google Pay and Google Wallet being a key example.

Google Wallet has been available on Android devices for a long time, but in many distinct forms. Originally revealed as a peer-to-peer payment system in 2011, Google Wallet has undergone a number of metamorphoses: from Android Pay in 2015, to Google Pay 2018 and back to Google Wallet in 2022, where the app currently resides. All these mergers and name changes have made things a little unclear.

A common problem with Google Wallet is confusion over where it ends and Google Pay begins, which is rooted in the fact that Google Pay was once a standalone app. These days, the only app in this equation is Google Wallet, which is an app that stores cards digitally (along with vouchers, boarding passes, gym and library cards, and more). Google Wallet is what allows Google Pay, a payment processing system, to work; Cards stored in Google Wallet can be used in Google Pay payments.

The original Google Pay app has been completely replaced by the Wallet app. Now, Google Pay is an option that will appear during online transactions (as opposed to something like PayPal or a direct insertion of card details). Google Pay also allows an Android phone to make contactless payments using NFC technology.

Both uses of Google Pay require a card to make payment to a linked Google Wallet. Google Pay is therefore now more of a feature of Google Wallet rather than a separate entity. These features primarily manifest on Android phones, where Google Wallet and its associated Google Pay feature can perform online and NFC transactions. However, Google Wallet is also accessible through its online website, allowing you to use Google Pay on various devices to make online purchases.

Google Wallet and Pay aren’t the only way to manage payments on Android phones. Samsung phones can use both Google and Samsung digital wallets – and can have both installed at the same time – to take advantage of NFC payments through either platform. If you’re using a Pixel or Motorola phone, Google will still be more or less your only option.