what is google wallet

Google Wallet was a mobile payment system developed by Google that acted as a virtual wallet, allowing users to make payments and transfer money straight from their phones. However, in 2018, Google merged Google Wallet and Android Pay to create Google Pay). Google Pay is a mobile payment service that powers in-app, online, and in-person contactless purchases on mobile devices, enabling users to make payments with Android phones, tablets, or watches). Users can authenticate via a PIN, passcode, or biometrics such as 3D face scanning or fingerprint recognition). Google Pay uses near-field communication (NFC) to transmit card information facilitating funds transfer to the retailer. When the user makes a payment to a merchant, Google Pay generates a virtual account number representing the users account information, instead of sending the actual payment card number. Google Pay is available in 71 countries as of 2023).