This month, Google Wallet has expanded its capabilities by adding support for 25 new banks and credit unions across the United States. This move allows smaller, member-owned institutions to offer features like tap-to-pay, which have traditionally been associated with larger banking corporations. The newly supported financial institutions are spread across various states and territories, including Guam.
Credit unions are often favored for their ability to help customers avoid excessive fees and the impersonal nature of large national banks. However, they sometimes fall short in providing certain amenities that corporate banks offer. Google Wallet’s NFC-based tap-to-pay feature has been compatible with major banks like Chase and Wells Fargo since the days of Android Pay.
Still, it has taken a significant amount of time to integrate a good number of member-owned financial institutions into the service. Gradually, Google is addressing this gap by continuously adding local banks to Wallet in the United States. This month alone, 25 new banks and credit unions were integrated in eight separate updates, demonstrating that Google is actively enhancing the service.
The new additions cover a wide range of locations, from Texas to Pennsylvania and Michigan to Micronesia, meaning there’s a good chance your local institution may now be included. In addition to these new partnerships, Google Wallet has also introduced enhancements to its transit pass feature. Users can now add nicknames to their bus cards and boarding passes, a functionality that was previously only available for stored payment methods.
This change aims to simplify the user experience by making it easier to locate transit passes as the app continues to expand beyond just credit card storage.
Leave a Reply