Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Wallet will gain QR code payment functionality in the coming months.
- This addition is limited to Brazil for now, though.
- Google says it hopes to bring this feature to more markets down the line.
Update: June 30, 2023 (1:40 AM ET): Google has shed more light on Google Wallet’s new QR code feature. The company told Android Authority that it’s working with some of the largest point-of-sale (POS) providers in Brazil to enable the feature. So individual retailers don’t need to specifically sign up for the feature as long as they’re working with these providers.
“We hope to bring this to other markets in the future, but don’t have anything to share at the moment,” a spokesperson added when we asked about the feature coming to other countries.
Original article: June 28, 2023 (3:54 AM ET): NFC-based payments are ultra-popular today, with the likes of Google Wallet and Apple Pay allowing people to make payments in lieu of tapping their card to pay. Not every phone comes with an NFC chip though, forcing these users to adopt QR code-based payments.
Now, Google has announced (h/t: 9to5Google) that Google Wallet has finally received support for QR code-based payments as well.
The company revealed the news as part of a slew of announcements for Brazil, and the feature is indeed limited to this market for now.
“The new feature, to be launched in the coming months, makes any Android device capable of making digital payments with credit and debit cards by using their camera to scan dynamic codes in payment machines,” read an excerpt of the announcement.
Either way, a first-party QR-based solution is a big deal in emerging markets. Many low-end smartphones in these regions lack NFC in the first place, forcing consumers to use QR-based payments via third-party services. Furthermore, the fact that you only need a camera and data connection to conduct these payments means that it’s theoretically possible to make QR code payments via a feature phone.
We’ve asked Google whether Wallet’s new QR payment feature will be available outside Brazil in the future. We’ll update the article if/when the company gets back to us.
