Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Wallet is preparing a new “Express Transit Card” feature for faster transport payments.
- It’ll allow users to set up a separate debit/credit card for transport payments, different from their default tap-to-pay card for regular purchases.
- Wallet users will be able to make transport payments with their Express Transit Card without needing to unlock their devices.
Google appears to be getting ready to add a handy feature called “Express Transit Card” to Google Wallet. The new option will allow users to pay for transport using a specific card, without needing to unlock their phones.
We discovered the feature while conducting a teardown of the Google Wallet app, version 25.43.826060251, where we successfully surfaced the option. Once launched, the Express Transit Card setting will allow users to select a specific debit or credit card to act as their default transit payment method, separate from their default tap-to-pay card for regular purchases.
Google Wallet Express Transit Card: How it’ll work
Currently, Google Wallet supports transit payments in select regions, either through stored transit passes or directly via credit and debit cards that support tap-to-pay systems. However, if a user has multiple payment cards in their Wallet, switching between them for transit rides can be cumbersome. Typically, you have to unlock your phone, open Wallet, find the correct card, and then tap to pay every time you want to use a different card for transport payments.
The new Express Transit Card option will solve this problem. Once you designate a card as your Express Transit card, you’ll be able to simply tap your phone on a supported transit terminal without unlocking, PIN, or biometric verification.
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This feature mirrors what both Apple and Samsung already offer. Apple Pay has long included an identical setting, also called “Express Transit Card,” which lets iPhone and Apple Watch users make transit payments without Face ID or passcodes. Samsung Wallet offers similar functionality for supported cards and systems, allowing users to set a specific debit or credit card for transit use. The setup flow and description we uncovered in the Google Wallet app also closely resemble Apple’s implementation.
While Google Wallet already has an option to disable verification for transit payments, the Express Transit Card goes a step further by letting users choose a specific payment card for transport payments. So when the feature finally rolls out, Google Wallet users should be able to keep two default tap-to-pay cards — one for regular purchases and another for public transport.
⚠️ An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
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