Google wallet
Wider Global Availability
Google Wallet is the rebranding of the popular Google Pay app with the same NFC payments, transit cards, loyalty cards and other wallet replacement tools as before. However, it also promises new features such as driver’s license storage and digital car keys.
In front of
- Available on all Android phones and Wear OS watches
- Available in more countries
- Google Pay more widely available for online payments
- Transit and parking tickets
Against
- No MST
- No more peer-to-peer payments
samsung wallet
Crypto, Passwords and MST (sort of)
Samsung Pay has rebranded itself as Samsung Wallet and soon promised to add almost all of the same features as Google Wallet, with some unique benefits like blockchain tracking. The main difference here is that you can only use Samsung Wallet on Samsung devices.
In front of
- Included in Samsung phones, watches and apps
- Blockchain Wallet
- Includes Samsung Pass
- Technically supports MST on older phones
Against
- Only available on Samsung phones
- No longer supports MST on newer phones
Google Pay and Samsung Pay have been competing with each other for years. Then Google changed Google Pay to Google Wallet, after which Samsung did the same with Samsung Wallet about a month later. Both now offer digital passes as well as their native payment systems; and for Samsung phone owners, you can download both. So when it comes to Google Wallet vs Samsung Wallet, we will break down the similarities and differences so that you know which one to choose.
Availability of Google Wallet vs. Samsung Wallet
First of all, you need to know if you can even use these services where you are. First, Google wallet will be available in 40 countries. Our linked explanation gives an overview of the countries, but if Google Pay was available in your country, it will most likely convert directly to Google Wallet without you having to do anything. The exceptions are the US and Singapore — where Google Wallet and Google Pay will be two separate apps — and India, which will continue to use GPay and waive Wallet.
More importantly, Google Wallet will be available on almost every Android phone, assuming you have the latest Android operating system. And you can use Google Wallet on Wear OS Watches, too, but we’re still waiting for the launch. Google promised in May that Google Wallet would be launched in the coming weeks, but as of early July, we have yet to see it.
As regards samsung wallet, it’s specifically available through the Galaxy Store, meaning you can only download it on Samsung phones. It’s also the default tap-to-pay option on Samsung watches like the galaxy watch 4†
Samsung Wallet is only available in six countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and US. So for many of you, these limitations will mean that you will not be able to use Samsung Wallet at all, making this malfunction incomprehensible.
Google Wallet vs Samsung Wallet: Payment Changes
As we’ll discuss below, Google and Samsung have largely added the same “wallet” features in the rebranding of Google Pay and Samsung Pay. So to compare the two apps, it makes more sense to focus first on how they differ from each other payments instead of the new auxiliary instruments.
The most obvious shared feature is that both Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet allow you to store credit, debit, bank accounts, Paypal, and other NFC tap-to-pay financial information in brick-and-mortar retail locations that now support Google Pay or Samsung Pay. It sounds confusing, but actually you should pay as a . have to consider feature from Wallet now, instead of its own app.
For the most part, both services have to accept the same banks and credit card companies, so you can choose either one. And similarly, most brick and mortar stores accept both Google Pay and Samsung Pay, or neither. So you can safely choose what you want.
It shouldn’t surprise you that Samsung Wallet shares most of its new and upcoming features with Google.
Where Google Pay has the edge is with online payments. You’ll often find Google Pay as a payment option in certain store windows, and if you’re using Chrome, you’ll see the prompt to auto-populate payment fields with your saved Google Pay cards. Samsung Pay, on the other hand, doesn’t have the same reach outside of Samsung’s own stores.
Google Pay offered peer-to-peer payments in select countries, but that feature isn’t porting to Google Wallet. It will remain a separate Pay app, meaning you will need to download two separate apps.
Samsung used to get a head start on Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), a payment method your phone used like the magnetic strip on credit cards. But Samsung doesn’t have it on the Galaxy S22 and didn’t support it in the US Galaxy S21essentially leaving the function.
Some people claimed that The death of MST was a good thing, but it took away one of the only distinguishing features of Samsung Pay. Likewise, Google could have given Google Pay an edge by offering Plex bank accounts who bypassed traditional banks, but eventually abandoned the idea. Now Google and Samsung are more focused on bringing other in addition to the payment-based tools for the app.
Google Wallet vs Samsung Wallet: Upcoming Features
Samsung often aligns itself with Google when it comes to bringing new features to its phones, so it shouldn’t surprise you that Samsung Wallet shares most of its new and upcoming features with Google.
Both mobile giants have promised that their respective Wallet apps will support the following data at launch: loyalty and membership cards, gift cards, boarding passes, digital car keys for participating brands such as BMW and Hyundai, and vaccination cards. Both Wallet apps will work from 2022 to add digital IDs and driver’s licenses.
Android itself supports saved pass data and tap-to-show functionality, so it makes sense that the two apps offer the same tools. The same goes for digital licenses and IDs: the delay has less to do with technology and more to do with states and nations accepting digital identification as valid. And these governments would likely approve the feature all at once in Google, Samsung, and Apple Wallets rather than exclusive to one.
As for where they differ, Samsung Wallet includes Samsung Pass to store and fill your passwords after biometric authentication on your Samsung phone. Google also offers auto-password tools outside of Wallet so you don’t miss out. In addition, there are many password managers you can use.
Samsung has also built in its “Blockchain Wallet” so you can track cryptocurrencies directly through the Wallet, something Google hasn’t offered until now. If you are someone who cares about crypto and want to check your balance in the same place as your bank accounts, this could appeal to you.
On the other hand, Google Wallet will specifically include parking tickets, hotel room keys, and transit passes — all features Samsung Wallet power in the future, but were not mentioned in the press release.
Google Wallet vs Samsung Wallet: Which Should You Use?
If you mainly use Samsung devices, you can use the Samsung Wallet case through Google Wallet. The One UI OS will include both apps, but Samsung Wallet works more easily in the Galaxy Store and gives you rewards for future purchases of Samsung devices. Since Samsung much of the best android phonesmany of you will fall into this category.
Unless you’re really interested in cryptocurrency or are using an older Galaxy phone with MST support, Samsung Wallet doesn’t have enough exclusive perks in our minds. Using Google Wallet will keep your payment information up-to-date if you ever switch from Samsung to another Android brand, and the availability of Google Pay for online payments can be just as convenient as physical tap-to-pay in stores .
Otherwise, both Wallet apps store the same financial and personal information, so you can’t really go wrong with either.
Google wallet
Benefits of Google’s Global Presence
Google Wallet is your only option if you own a non-Samsung Android device. If you own a Samsung phone, you can: still Google Wallet because it gives you more flexibility for in-store and online payments.
samsung wallet
Specialized for Samsung devices
Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass have joined forces in one package that makes it easier to pay for stuff on your phone or in stores. It’s just too bad you can’t access it on non-Samsung devices.