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Google Wallet is adding the ability to store a digital image of a state-issued ID card along with several other features announced Thursday. In related news, Alipay, a China-based digital wallet with an estimated 1.3 billion users, is enabling users to add Alipay to their Apple IDs for use with their iPhones.
Google Wallet’s new ID feature starts with a Maryland ID or driver’s license for devices using Android 8.0 or later. In coming months, Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia will be enabled. The feature is one of five announced Thursday. Rival Apple Inc. said in 2021 it would support driver’s licenses, with Arizona enabling it first in March 2022. Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland also support Apple Wallet inclusion.
Another new Google Wallet feature includes the ability to save passes to the wallet from an image. A pass with a barcode, such as a gym membership, can be saved as an image and stored in the wallet.
Similarly, users will be able to save health-insurance cards and other private passes. They will be labeled as private passes in Google Wallet because they contain details about the user’s identity and will require verification to add, view, and use.
Google Wallet users also will be able to save a company ID and access badges beginning later this year. The fifth new feature is the ability to save passes to Wallet from the Messages app, such as a boarding pass or train ticket. This feature debuts with Vietnam Airlines and Renfe, a train operator based in Spain.
Alipay, which has several U.S. collaborations, including with Chase Merchant Services, said users can visit the Apple Zone in the Alipay app to link their Alipay account to their Apple ID. Then, they can pay for apps, games, in-app purchases, or subscribe to iCloud+ and Apple Music with the Apple ID and Alipay payment information in one transaction. To start with, the feature will be available in the AlipayHK app for users in Hong Kong.
