FAQ

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General
Payments
Security and Privacy

Offers
Merchants
Partners

General

What is Google Wallet?: Google Wallet is a virtual wallet that stores your payment information securely and makes paying fast both in-store and online.
Where can I use Google Wallet?: You can tap and pay using Google Wallet anywhere MasterCard® PayPass™ is accepted. Currently, MasterCard PayPass is available at over 140,000 merchants across the United States. Find out where it works now.
How much does it cost to use Google Wallet?: Nothing. Google Wallet is free to shoppers, whether used in-store or online.

Payments

What payment instruments will Google Wallet support?: Currently, Google Wallet supports two kinds of credit cards: most Citi® PayPass™ eligible MasterCard® credit cards and the Google Prepaid Card. In time, we intend to support all the cards you keep in your wallet today.
I have a Citi MasterCard credit card. How do I know if it is eligible for PayPass?: We recommend you use Citi’s tool to check if your account is already eligible for PayPass and capable of working with Google Wallet. If your account is not eligible, please contact Citi Cards at 877-762-2989.
What is the Google Prepaid Card?: The Google Prepaid Card allows you to use Google Wallet even if you don't have an eligible Citi MasterCard. It is a virtual card powered by MasterCard and Money Network®. You can fund this prepaid card with any of your existing plastic credit cards. And since it’s purely virtual, you won’t get a physical plastic card in the mail. You can tap and pay immediately after funds are added.
When will other cards be available on Google Wallet?: We are working quickly with various partners to put new kinds of virtual cards in Google Wallet. In most cases, partner systems require modification and additional development to ensure things work smoothly with Google Wallet. That said, we’ll continue to announce new features of Google Wallet as they become available.
How does Google Wallet send payments?: When you’re ready to checkout, look for the MasterCard PayPass logo to see whether the merchant accepts contactless payments. After the cashier rings up your purchase, tap your phone on the PayPass terminal and your Google Wallet will transmit payment details in a secure, wireless manner. Moments after you tap the terminal, you will receive a payment confirmation and you’re on your way.

Security and Privacy

What if my phone with Google Wallet is lost or stolen?: Contact your credit card company and wireless carrier immediately and they will assist you. In addition, you should report your lost or stolen phone and take the same precautions you normally would in this situation.
Is it possible to remove all cards from the phone?: Yes, you can reset Google Wallet and remove all payment credentials and transaction data via the Settings menu.
How does Google Wallet protect my payment credentials?: Your payment credentials are stored in a chip called the Secure Element contained within your phone. The Secure Element is isolated from your phone’s main operating system and hardware. Only authorized programs like Google Wallet can access the Secure Element to initiate a transaction. Additionally, because Google Wallet enforces a PIN, the only way to transmit payment credentials is if you first enter the PIN.
What is the Secure Element and how secure is it?: The Secure Element has many features designed to protect the security of the data it stores. It’s separate from the phone’s main operating system and hardware, which enables encrypted protocols to enforce access control. Only authorized programs like Google Wallet can access the Secure Element to initiate a transaction. There are multiple levels of protection for data stored on the Secure Element and it is protected at the hardware level from snooping or tampering.
Could a malicious application access my credit card on the Secure Element?: Both the Android platform and the Secure Element are designed to prevent this from happening. Android enforces strict access policies so that malicious applications won’t have access to data stored by Google Wallet. Even Google Wallet itself has very limited access to the Secure Element, and cannot read or write data from its memory. There are multiple levels of protection for data stored on the Secure Element and it is protected at the hardware level from snooping or tampering.
If someone gets close to my phone, could they read sensitive data from my Google Wallet?: The NFC antenna in your phone is only activated when the screen is powered on, and even if the antenna is on and in proximity of a reader, payment credentials can only be transmitted from the Secure Element to a payment terminal after you have entered your Google Wallet PIN.
Am I liable for unauthorized transactions on credit cards stored with Google Wallet?: The same rules that apply to unauthorized use of your plastic credit card, apply to unauthorized use of a credit card stored in Google Wallet. Many banks apply a $0 liability policy for unauthorized use. For more information, please consult the terms and conditions of your account supplied by your card issuer.
Does Google or my phone store what I buy using Google Wallet, and from where?: Google Wallet does not currently receive data about what products you purchase using the mobile NFC-powered app. Google Wallet does record the time of an initiated transaction and which credential was used. In addition, Google Prepaid Card purchases will include the merchant name and amount in the transaction history. This data is synced with Google servers. Google Wallet also gives you the option to turn on a feature to record your location at the time of purchase. You can enable that feature from the Settings menu.
Can or should I install Google Wallet on a rooted phone?: No, we do not support Google Wallet on rooted phones.

Offers

What are Google Offers?: Google Offers are deals on products and services at local or online businesses. You can learn more about our beta trial of "Offers of the Day" at www.google.com/offers. We are also testing other types of offers in different Google products, including Google Search, Maps, Latitude, and Shopper.
How do I redeem Google Offers?: At most stores, simply show your offer to the cashier at check out. The cashier will either scan the offer’s barcode or manually type it in. At a small but growing number of Google SingleTap™ merchants, you can pay for your purchase and redeem your offer in a single tap.
What are Featured Offers?: Featured Offers are discounts that are exclusive to Google Wallet and can be discovered in the Offers tab of the app and redeemed with NFC. All Google Wallet users can redeem featured offers at select SingleTap™ merchant locations within New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington DC. At present, these merchants include American Eagle Outfitters, The Container Store, Jamba Juice, and Macy’s. For a specific set of stores in your area, please search our merchant map.
What are Nearby Offers?: Nearby Offers are discounts shown to Google Wallet users from a wide range of local businesses that are near the user’s location. At most stores, users can redeem Nearby Offers by simply showing their offer to the cashier at checkout. The cashier will either scan the offer’s barcode or manually type in the offer code.

Merchants

Do merchants pay card-present or card-not-present rates for transactions made via Google Wallet?: Merchants pay card-present rates.
Are there additional charges for payments via Google Wallet?: Merchants will not incur any additional charges for payments via Google Wallet.
What is a Google SingleTap™ merchant?: Many retailers are partnering with us to become Google SingleTap™ merchants, which means that consumers will be able to pay, redeem offers, and earn loyalty points - all in a single tap of the phone. In addition, some of these Google SingleTap merchants are integrating their gift cards into Google Wallet, meaning that consumers will be able to pay with either a credit card or a gift card.

Partners

How is Google enabling an "open commerce ecosystem"?

Google Wallet will be “open” in these ways:

Google Wallet will support many payment instruments, with the goal being to create virtual versions of all the plastic cards that exist today.
Google Wallet will establish APIs that issuing banks can develop for that will make integrating payment instruments into Google Wallet a reasonably straightforward process.
Google Wallet will establish APIs to enable transfer of offers, loyalty programs, receipts, and more at the point of sale. "Powered by Google Wallet" indicates that such APIs are used in a payment product subject to the Google Wallet Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Who has partnered with Google for Google Wallet?

Google has partnered with leading companies across the mobile, financial, and retail ecosystems to develop Google Wallet. Citi, MasterCard, First Data, and Sprint are key launch partners for Google Wallet. Google is also partnering with point of sale systems companies, including Verifone, Hypercom, Ingenico, and ViVOTech, to introduce rich interaction between Google Wallet and the point of sale. Samsung, NXP, and Google have worked together to create the first phones that support Google Wallet. Also, Visa, Discover and American Express have made available their NFC specifications that could enable their cards to be added to future versions of Google Wallet.

What kinds of companies can partner with Google for Google Wallet?

Google continues to partner with many kinds of companies for Google Wallet, including:

Issuing banks
Payment networks
Point of sale systems
Semiconductor companies
Mobile handset manufacturers
Mobile operators
Merchants

How does a company partner with Google for Google Wallet?

At least for now, a partner must engage directly with Google to build products or services that connect to Google Wallet. If you’re a business interested in partnering with Google Wallet, contact us.

Merchants

General

What is Google Wallet?: Google Wallet is a virtual wallet that stores your payment information securely and makes paying fast both in-store and online.
Where can I use Google Wallet?: You can pay with Google Wallet at any online retailer where Google Wallet is accepted. In addition, you can use Google Wallet to make purchases on Google sites such as Google Play, Chrome Web Store, Google+ Games, Google Offers and more.
How much does it cost to use Google Wallet?: Nothing. Google Wallet is free to shoppers, whether used in-store or online.

Payments

What payment options will Google Wallet support?: Google Wallet supports all major credit and signature debit cards for online purchases. Additionally, for some purchases on Google Play, you can pay directly through your mobile carrier.
How do I create a Google Wallet account?: When you click on any Google Wallet button for the first time, you will be prompted to set up a Google Wallet account. You can also visit wallet.google.com/manage to create your Google Wallet account. If you already have a Google Account, you simply need to sign in and setup your Google Wallet account. If you don't have a Google Account, click on 'Sign up for a new Google Account' to get started.
If I already have a Google Checkout account, do I need to create a new Google Wallet account?: No, your Google Checkout account has automatically transitioned to a Google Wallet account.
Can I use Google Wallet to purchase online with a mobile device?: Yes. If you’re on a mobile site that accepts Google Wallet, you can simply choose to pay via Google Wallet and will be taken through the online purchase process. You do not have to download the Google Wallet mobile app.

Security and Privacy

How does Google Wallet protect my payment credentials?: All transactions are encrypted with industry-standard SSL (secure socket layer) technology. Your bank account details and credit card information, which are stored in a single location on our secure servers, are only accessed when needed to complete transactions. Google will not share your personal information with anyone except under the limited circumstances described in our Privacy Policy.
Am I liable for unauthorized transactions on credit cards stored with Google Wallet?: The same rules that apply to unauthorized use of your plastic credit card, apply to unauthorized use of a credit card stored in your Google Wallet account. You should contact your credit card issuing bank to report any unauthorized transactions.

Merchants

As an e-commerce merchant, how can I accept Google Wallet online?: There are two ways a merchant can accept Google Wallet online -- by processing payments themselves or by having Google handle the payment processing. Customers simply click the button, enter their Google username and password, then pay you with the cards they have securely stored in their account. For more information, please visit theGoogle Wallet for business site.
What if I have my own payment processing system in place? Can I still use Google Wallet?: Yes. We encourage merchants who already have payment processing relationships in place to accept Google Wallet. To get started accepting Google Wallet with your existing payment processing system, please request contact from a Google representative.
As a web app developer, how can I accept Google Wallet online?: Developers can integrate Google Wallet in their web apps to enable customers to buy quickly and securely using their Google username and password. The transaction takes place in-context, meaning shoppers never leave your site. When you accept Google Wallet in a web app, Google takes care of payment processing, fraud detection and PCI compliance for a low transaction fee. For more information, please visit http://www.google.com/wallet/business/digital-goods/games.html.
How is Google Wallet different than Google Checkout?: Google Checkout has transitioned to Google Wallet. With Google Wallet, consumers have one wallet that can be used to make in-store and online purchases. Google Wallet provides merchants with a single payment platform to accept payments across all their channels -- in-store and online, including mobile websites.
Are there any additional charges with Google Wallet compared to Google Checkout?: No. Merchants processing payments themselves do not pay any additional fees for Google Wallet payments. Merchants using Google’s payment processing services pay a transaction fee as low as 1.9% + $0.30 for online transactions or the more favorable of 5% or 1.9% + $0.30 for digital goods processed through the Google Wallet for digital goods API.