Google has bid adieu to the Pay moniker and consolidated its multiple payment apps under one name: Google Wallet. The free, Android-exclusive app retains all the features from the defunct Google Pay except one: peer-to-peer payments. However, it still shines. Google Wallet offers contactless, NFC-powered payments and is your hub for loyalty program cards, transit passes, and other digital tickets. You only need to ask, "Do I mind connecting another part of my life to Google?" If the answer is no, you'll be well-served by this easy-to-use, full-featured payment app. Accordingly, Google Wallet is an Editors' Choice winner, particularly for Android phone users.

How to Set Up Google Wallet

Google Wallet comes preinstalled on most Android devices, but you can manually download it from Google Play if it isn't already on your handset. I installed Google Wallet on a Pixel 6 Pro and set it up by logging into my Google Account. If you have any debit or credit cards saved in Chrome's AutoFill tool, those details automatically transfer to Google Wallet. Likewise, if you've previously entered a card in Google Pay, it carries over to Google Wallet without further action.

You can also manually enter the financial data during setup; simply open the app, sign into your account, and add a payment method. Like most payment apps, Google Wallet lets you use your phone's camera to take a picture of the card to ease entering payment source info.

(Credit: Google/PCMag)

When you set up Google Wallet, you can make it your Android phone's exclusive NFC payment app. However, alternative apps like PayPal, Samsung Pay, or Venmo can also be used.

As with all mobile payment apps, you must enter a bank debit card to receive payments. However, you can enter either debit or credit cards to make payments. Google Wallet payments don't include additional fees, which is a nice perk. Conversely, Venmo lets you pay via linked credit cards but charges a 3% fee. Paying via credit card provides liability protection, whereas paying via a bank account leaves dispute resolutions up to the financial institutions' endpoints.

What Can You Use Google Wallet to Pay For?

With the contactless Tap to Pay feature, you simply tap your unlocked phone at a payment scanner to make a purchase. The first card you add is automatically set as the default payment option, but you can swipe to an alternative card. You can set up biometric verification as you can with Apple Pay, PayPal, and Samsung Pay. Google Wallet worked without issue to pay for groceries at a supermarket.

Apple Pay and Samsung Pay don't require you to unlock your phone, but you must use a biometric login or PIN to complete the transaction. Mass transit fares are the only time you can pay with an unlocked phone.

Google Wallet doesn't let you send money to friends via peer-to-peer payments, as Google Pay did, which is disappointing. For that functionality, download Cash App, PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle.

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Loyalty Cards, Transit Passes, and More

You can review your payment history within the app or via the web. Much like Apple Wallet, Google Wallet lets you add gift cards, ID cards, loyalty cards, and transit passes. Examples of Loyalty programs include Best Buy, Costco, Dick's Sporting Goods, Macy's, Panera, Starbucks, Target, and Walgreens.

(Credit: Google/PCMag)

The transit selection has expanded considerably since we last reviewed the service, including hundreds of metro cities across the United States and even select options for Australian, Canadian, and UK cities. Google Wallet also stores event tickets, flight boarding passes, and other similar items. You do so by opening the email or web page with your confirmation details and clicking Save to Google Wallet. You view those items in Google Wallet and present them as needed.

You can use Google Wallet on compatible smartwatches. You must set up a PIN on the smartwatch but don't need to reenter the credit card info in the Google Wallet account, aside from reverifying the card with its CVV number.

Security, Privacy, and Buyer Protection

As with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and almost every other payment app, Google Wallet doesn't transfer your actual credit card number. Instead, it uses an encrypted code that the merchant transfers to the card issuer for verification. Google states that transactions and payment info are protected with multiple security layers.

(Credit: Google/PCMag)

Google claims it won't use personally identifiable information about your transactions except as needed to process the transaction. The information may be shared among Google's affiliates, but you can opt out of this sharing where it regards your creditworthiness or is for marketing.

When it comes to buyer protection, Google absolves itself of responsibility. Google is an intermediary service, so your payment card's buyer protection covers you. This means you should use a credit card as the payment source for big purchases, since those are required to offer you protections from liability by law.

Verdict: You Should Pay the Google Wallet Way

Google Wallet is an easy-to-use payment app that houses gift cards, loyalty programs, transit passes, and event tickets in a central location. It has the best features of the defunct Android Pay and Google Pay, minus the latter's useful peer-to-peer features. Despite that drawback, Google Wallet is an incredibly useful tool for paying for items on the go or storing digital tickets, making it an Editors' Choice winner for mobile payment apps.

Michael Muchore contributed to this review.