Google launches wallet app in India for Android users, but without payment features

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Tech giant Google on Wednesday announced the launch of the Google Wallet app in India, enabling users to save their travel tickets, gift cards and event passes in one place. It however does not support payment features such as saving credit cards or debit cards in the wallet for on-tap payments.

This Wallet app offers fast and secure access to everyday essentials, enabling people to conveniently store and retrieve important digital documents like boarding passes, loyalty cards, movie tickets, and more. Google Wallet complements Google Pay, which will continue to serve the payments needs of users across India.

Google has partnered with 20 of India’s top brands to enable the Google Wallet experience, including PVR & INOX, Air India, Indigo, Flipkart, Pine Labs, Kochi Metro, Abhibus and many others, with more partners to be added in the months to follow. 

 Google Wallet is now available for download from the Google Play Store for all Android users in India.

Like all Google products, Google Wallet is built to the highest security and privacy standards, where people have full control over what information is stored and how it is used, the tech giant said,

Ram Papatla, GM & India Engineering Lead, Android at Google, said, “The arrival of Google Wallet in India marks an important milestone in Android’s India journey, bringing innovative and convenient experiences to simplify peoples’ daily lives. 

We are delighted to partner with many of India’s top brands to offer a comprehensive solution that helps you securely access and manage your everyday essentials. From boarding passes to loyalty cards, and event tickets to public transport passes – they’re there when you need them.”

 Satya Ramaswamy, Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Air India, said “In our mission to delight our customers through innovative digital experiences, we are always looking for opportunities to partner with global companies like Google to bring guest-friendly capabilities to life. In this quest, we are glad to be the first airline from India to make our boarding passes available directly on the Google Wallet”

Gaurav Arora, Vice President of Payments and Supercoins, Flipkart, said, “At Flipkart, we prioritize creating the best customer experience. Over the years, we have consistently worked towards ensuring our SuperCoins Reward Programme, which is one of India’s largest rewards programmes, is the most fulfilling experience for every customer. We believe that the redemption of SuperCoins is as enjoyable as earning money, and we are excited to reward shoppers in new ways. We would like to congratulate and welcome Google Wallet in India.”  

 Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX Limited, added, “At PVR INOX, we constantly strive to elevate the customer experience, and we’re delighted to collaborate with Google to extend the Google Wallet experience for our patrons. Movie-going is an essential aspect of people’s daily routines for out-of-home entertainment. By integrating purchases made through the PVR and INOX Web and App, including tickets, food and beverages, and the Passport subscription program, customers can conveniently access their bookings through Google Wallet.”