Google Wallet just got an update in early June and it is now better in terms of its position to save all kinds of personal information so you don’t need to travel with those physical copies.
For starters, more pass cards are now supported for digitalization. For example, a gym membership card has a barcode on the back and one can take a picture and turn it into a secure and digital version of it.
Although it might seem to be a bit clunky or limited at sight, Google promises to support any card type that has a barcode or QR code that serves as some sort of identification, or even documents that matter such as transit QR tickets, parking passes, and e-commerce QR codes.
On the other hand, users will be able to receive their boarding pass or train ticket from Messages and directly import them into Wallet with partners Vietnam Airlines and Renfe from Spain already supporting this function and rolling it out to other partners as time goes on.
In collaboration with Google and Humana, they are creating a digital version of health insurance cards compatible with Google Wallet so that members can immediately access their insurance information without relying on paper statements, potentially speeding up ward registration or time-critical procedures that could mean life or death.
Additionally, since some information, for example, the health insurance card, is highly confidential, these type of passes will be labeled as ‘Private Pass’ and can only be unlocked through your biometrics like fingerprint, PIN, or other methods – similarly how you set up your smartphone for screen unlocking.
Availability
Google Wallet is rolling out these updates steadily so it will be sooner or later for you to enjoy these.
