I waited too long to start using this convenient payment app

Summary

Google Wallet is a game-changer.
Google Wallet streamlines everyday tasks.
The digital world offers convenience, but poses challenges to physical media.

After getting a new

credit card
, I started to realize my wallet was rapidly running out of space. Between my debit card, a Barnes & Noble membership card, two credit cards, and other random assortments, things were getting very cluttered. To me, a

wallet
should have everything I need readily accessible, and that was no longer the case.

I don’t know what finally clicked for me, but I decided to give Google Wallet a try. It’s been installed on my phone since I got it, but I never thought much about it. I decided to open up the app after getting a new credit card, and now I’m wondering why I didn’t do it before.

Not only are all my cards now in Google Wallet, but things I didn’t even know about work with the app. It’s an actual game-changer, and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t utilize these features earlier. Better late than never, of course, but I can’t imagine a world where I won’t use this app going forward. So long stuffed wallet, I won’t miss you at all.

Google Wallet app icon on green background.

Adding cards to Google Wallet could soon be as easy as a tap

Adding your new credit or debit card to Google Wallet may be a lot easier in the future.

Google Wallet is magic

I don’t know how I didn’t know about this

Google / Pocket-lint

I know phones can do just about anything these days, but I didn’t realize how easy it was to keep track of everything within one app. By using Google Wallet, I’m able to just open up a single app for almost anything when I’m out and about. For example, when I saw Star Wars Revenge of the Sith for its 20th anniversary rerelease, I didn’t have to open up the AMC Theaters app to scan my ticket as it was automatically added to my Google Wallet. This app cuts out the middle man for not just AMC, but other things too.

The Ace Hardware card I’ve used a single time in my life is linked to it, so when I go to refill my grill’s propane tank, I’ll be ready.

Technology has done a lot of useless things over the years, but this is one app that I feel does a lot that’s good. It saves me from having to carry a bunch of cards with me, and if I somehow forget my wallet going out, it doesn’t matter if I have my phone. With every place I can think of that I go to taking contactless payment, it’s been fun to finally join everyone else who has been using Google Wallet for years. I still have to carry some physical cards with me on the off chance somewhere I go that doesn’t take Google Wallet, but I noticed I don’t take my wallet out nearly as much as I used to when paying for something.

4 products in Google’s lineup that are an absolute mess right now

Google could stand to nix or update a lot of the products it’s selling.

However, I still need to carry my driver’s license with me, so I can’t ditch the wallet completely just yet. Some states let you put your license into the app, but I sadly don’t live in one of them.

What makes it even better is that it’s harder for me to lose my card — I can’t just leave it anywhere when it’s in my Google Wallet.If I did leave my phone at a restaurant, somebody would need my fingerprint to unlock it and then again to open the wallet app. If they came across my credit card out in the open, they could just take it and start using it, so there are some security reasons to use Google Wallet on top of its ease of use.

All in all, I have a lot of good things to say about Google Wallet, and I’m glad I finally stumbled across it. I can’t think of any downsides, and the only issue I run into isn’t Google’s fault, but it’s the establishment not accepting it as a form of pay. Tap to pay is still growing, and it’s only a matter of time before every popular store takes it.

A digital world has its benefits

It’s not all bad

I love not having to carry around physical cards as much as I used to, and it’s exciting to see advancements in technology offering things like this. I already don’t carry any cash around with me, so getting rid of the cards was the next logical step for me. Having it all on my phone in one place is great, and I’m left wondering where there even is to go from here. I can’t think of any improvements I’d add because everything works just as I’d expect it to. In this way, I’m fully embracing a digital world.

Of course, ditching physical items is good for some industries but bad for others. While it’s welcomed with open arms for digital credit cards, I don’t feel great about the direction media is going as a whole. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find physical movies, TV shows, and video games. I’m not happy about it, but it seems like other people don’t have an issue. Digital libraries are common for gamers, and it seems a lot of people are perfectly fine with that. The same thing goes for streaming services. People are fine streaming movies and music alike, so there’s not a lot of ownership anymore.

While it’s welcomed with open arms for digital credit cards, I don’t feel great about the direction media is going as a whole. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find physical movies, TV shows, and video games.

Like Google Wallet, the main draw of a digital library and streaming is the ease of use. You don’t have to get up and change a disc nor do you have to take up any shelf space in your house, so I can’t blame people too much. This is exactly what I like the most about my Google Wallet, but it’s not coming at the expense of anything else. I don’t particularly care if my physical credit card gets phased out, but I care if movies and video games are no longer available in a physical form.

It’s a difficult path to navigate between what’s good and what’s bad in a digital world. I often fear it’s too late for a lot of physical media, but seeing the revival of the

vinyl
market proves nothing’s really gone for good. I don’t think people are going to suddenly start using cash to buy things again, but I don’t think you have to worry about your physical card disappearing any time soon if you’re worried about that happening.