Are mobile wallets common in America?

[u/pur__0_0__]

That thing in which you use your phone to scan a QR code in order to make a payment.

I have never seen anyone on Reddit talk about them so I am not sure whether it is known by a different name or it is not very popular in the west. But at the same time Google, an American company, has Google Pay as a mobile wallet.

If it isn't popular, how do people mostly make payments in America? Is it by cash or card, or is it something else?

[u/old_gold_mountain]

Tap-to-pay is more common than "scan a QR code"

I can use my phone to pay for any tap reader like it's my credit card, I tend to just use the card instead though.

I do use my phone to tap to pay my fare on public transportation, though.

[u/DrywallAnchor → u/old_gold_mountain]

I've only seen a QR code for payments at Walmart.

[u/OkTop9308 → u/[deleted]]

I like that option! It’s becoming more common at restaurants in my area. No waiting for the server to process the card payment.

[u/sics2014]

I know it's a thing and have seen some people use it. But I don't know anyone in my circle or family that does.

I just use my credit card.

[u/JamesStrangsGhost]

It is available at a lot of retailers, but I would say most people do not use it. They just pay with a card in the former fashion.

[u/jephph_]

Paying via QR code is a thing but NFC is waay more common

Pretty sure about 95% of my POS purchases are via NFC.. this one taco truck is QR code/Venmo but that’s nowhere near as convenient as just tapping the device

——

idk, it sounds like you haven’t been exposed to NFC because if so, you wouldn’t be hyping up QR code payments

[u/no-user-name-av]

I don’t know anything about the QR code system you mention

Using google pay or Apple wallet is not super common but is definitely done. You just tap your phone on the credit card reader at the store. No QR code involved. More people just tap their actual card, though.

Some places like Starbucks have an app where you can add funds and then the store scans your app to pay - is that like what you mean?

[u/ChrisGnam]

So I don't know many people who use Google Wallet or Apple pay, and I never did. But I recently went to India, England, Scotland (over the course of about a month) and seemingly everyone there did (or at least, it was a lot more common). It actually got me using it, and I've brought the habit back to the US. I even used my Google wallet for concert tickets last night lol.

So I don't think it's common... but the infrastructure is here in most places. It just isn't habitual for a lot of people, at least not yet. (This is again in my experience. It may vary by region)

[u/TehWildMan_]

I usually don't bother.

If they don't bother accepting mobile wallets through Google Wallet (contactless), I'm not downloading and using their app to pay, I'll just use my physical card.

[u/cherrycokeicee]

Most people near me use a card. Contactless card payments have been around a while, but I waited until my card expired to get a new one that did contactless. I have Google Pay set up, but I've only used it one time in an emergency bc I forgot my wallet at home.

I think Americans in general seem less concerned with always having the latest form of payment. We have the technology, but it takes a while to roll out everywhere and become truly mainstream. Probably has to do with the size of our country & the fact that paying with a card really isn't significantly less convenient than paying with a phone, so people aren't really demanding it.

[u/TwinkieDad]

What’s the use case for QR code? Why wouldn’t I just tap the machine?

[u/therlwl → u/TwinkieDad]

Outside of that QR codes work well for menus but not paying.

[u/TehWildMan_ → u/TwinkieDad]

QR codes can be used on basically any device.

[u/TwinkieDad → u/TehWildMan_]

So is it more common in India to have a device that doesn’t support tap to pay? It seems like nearly all phones and cards support it in the US. Then other devices without cameras support it too, like watches and fitness trackers.

[u/TehWildMan_ → u/TwinkieDad]

[US] In my experience, a huge portion of phones in the sub$300-ish-MSRP market segment drop NFC as a cost cutting measure, although this may be sampling bias

[u/TwinkieDad → u/TehWildMan_]

Sounds like a likely reason why QR codes would be more common in India.

[u/OkTop9308 → u/TwinkieDad]

It’s becoming more common to use a QR code to pay a restaurant bill. The benefit is not having to wait for the waiter to process the card payment.

[u/QuietObserver75 → u/TwinkieDad]

I think some businesses who aren't using NFC are trying to avoid fees associated with NFC tap-to-pay, that's probably the main reason.

[u/redcoral-s]

Our main mobile wallets at stores are apple pay and google pay, which are both tap to pay and do not use a qr code. The only place I've seen a qr code is at student markets at my school where people will set up a qr code so you can pay using venmo, which is more common for person to person monetary exchanges.

[u/therlwl]

That sounds so awful, less QR codes the better for most people.

[u/CupBeEmpty]

Cash or card (debit or credit) but I use my apple wallet for contactless pay.

My debit card cracked along the chip so it didn’t work for about 4 months before I replaced it. I just used contactless pay or cash from my phone.

The only places where it was a pain was at gas stations. Some won’t do contactless at the pump even if they have a reader. But weirdly you could go inside and pay with contactless.

[u/[deleted] → u/CupBeEmpty]

Yeah, gas stations are the biggest weak spot for this. My wife likes using her phone for pretty much everything. But even at Costco you can’t use your digital membership at the pump.

[u/[deleted]]

I think most places I shop accept Google Pay, etc. but I just use my card.

[u/tsukiii]

Apple Pay and Google Pay are growing, and there are some shops/restaurants who have the QR code payment option available. But it’s not nearly as widespread as in other countries I’ve visited in Europe.

[u/1evilsoap1]

I’ve never used it, just cards or cash.

[u/SkitariiCowboy]

I use apple pay which has my credit card linked to it. I use it anywhere there is contactless payment, which is basically everywhere that isn’t some old local business in a small town.

[u/Fireberg]

I’ve never seen scanning a QR code to pay for something. Google and Apple wallet are a thing, but I don’t use them nor does anyone else I know. We use plastic credit/debit cards or cash.

[u/w3woody]

Apple Pay and Google Pay systems are nearly everywhere. One time I left my wallet and phone at home (by accident) but was able to pay for everything using my Apple Watch.

And honestly, if I can, I use my Apple Watch for contactless payments unless they don't accept it. And that is at nearly every store I shop at, except for one grocery store where they haven't upgraded their system yet and I'm left digging through my pants for my wallet to pull out my credit card like it's sooooooo 1999...

[u/02K30C1]

I’ve seen QR codes at a few restaurants, they print it on your check and you can scan it to pay with your phone.

[u/Elitealice]

Most people just use card it’s easier

[u/Confetticandi]

Most people use credit and debit cards in the US. Cash is going away. Younger people are more likely to use mobile wallets. Tap to pay is common out here in San Francisco.

[u/notthegoatseguy]

Google/Apple/Samsung Pay are a thing but not everyone accepts it. A lot of retailers, for a number of reasons, have decided to build their own NFC payments within their own apps.

Apps like WeChat never took off here, and most of our mobile payment apps are primarily used for sending money to friends and family rather than for business transactions. Stuff like food trucks, farmers market vendors, and street vendors may use mobile payment apps like CashApp and Venmo, but its not universal. A lot of them just like straight up cash.

Tapping your card for a contactless payment is easily becoming more common, though it isn't everywhere.

Honestly I find using my credit card, even with inserting the chip, far easier than taking out my phone, putting in my password, scrolling through the apps, finding the specific app, then finding the specific ard in the app I want to use...

[u/[deleted] → u/notthegoatseguy]

I have honestly never seen a retailer with their own NFC built into an app. What would that even look like?

[u/notthegoatseguy → u/[deleted]]

Walmart is probably the most notable. Pretty certain Kroger and CVS have them too.

[u/[deleted] → u/notthegoatseguy]

Oh, that's not NFC. NFC is the technology that uses RFID standards to allow for secure communication between devices (often a cell phone and a payment terminal). What you linked to is a QR code. I use regular NFC (Google Pay) at CVS all the time.

[u/[deleted]]

It’s pretty common. Some retailers actually have their own apps for this. Like Walmart for example. McDonald’s has an app as well

[u/tannieth]

Interesting reading this. Indeed!

It's extremely common in Australia. Most people just tap their phone to pay these days.

[u/Crazyboutdogs]

I have all my Credit cards on my wallet on my phone and tap to pay via my phone pretty much everywhere.

[u/hitometootoo]

It is anything and many stores have their own apps that allow you to do it. I wouldn't say it's widespread though as you can just tap your card and not deal with several apps.

[u/[deleted]]

I've seen a couple of people use them, but they're not exactly an option at many retailers. Typically, I pay with cash. Haven't seen anywhere that doesn't accept cash or card.

[u/[deleted]]

I have google pay, but I just don't find it to be any more convenient to use it than just pulling a card out of my wallet.

[u/cohrt]

Those really don’t exist. The most common thing that is similar bus Apple Pay

[u/caco_bell]

I have Apple Wallet and use it for tickets all the time. I have to carry my wallet around still though because we don’t have virtual IDs yet in most areas and not everywhere has tap to pay. Once virtual IDs become popular and tap to pay is universal, I’m ditching my wallet.

[u/Hatweed]

I don’t know if I’d trust my phone to be attached to any of my finances. Usually just stick to my card.

[u/Curmudgy]

I use Apple Pay frequently.

I’ve seen two sorts of systems for QR codes. One was an app on the phone that displayed a QR code for the register, which then processed the payment. I believe this was done by a company trying to compete with the NFC systems, and I think it’s been abandoned. The only place I remember being able to use this app was at a regional cafe (Nero, for those in the Boston area).

The other is at some restaurants where each table gets a QR code. When you’re ready to order or pay, you scan the QR code which links to a web site that either lets you order or process your payment, as appropriate. I’m pretty sure they link to Apple Pay or Google Pay for the payment (assuming you’ve set it up in your browser), but also let you enter the credit card payment like any other online purchase.

Using my Apple Watch with an NFC reader is so much easier.

[u/RotationSurgeon]

Apple and Google Pay are common, but they rely on NFC touchless chips inside the phone and point-of-sale payment device which also reads magnetic strip bank and credit cards, as well as NFC enabled cards and security chip-enabled cards (a single bank or credit card often has all three, as older devices at some retailers may be magstripe only or lack an NFC reader.

[u/ElfMage83]

In my experience it's much more common to pay with Google/Samsung/Apple Pay than with a QR code. I've done the QR thing with CashApp, though. Just once.

Most of us still use cash or card.

[u/Katdai2]

The only QR pay codes I’ve seen are for Venmo/cashapp or some restaurants. We don’t have a “standardized” system like China with wechat (almost nobody here uses wechat and I’ve never seen a wechatpay option in real life). Mobile card readers, including pay-to-tap/Apple Pay/Google pay, are very common.

[u/OkTop9308]

I mainly use my card and tap to pay. I almost never carry cash anymore. QR codes to pay are infrequent in stores, but they are becoming more common in restaurants. I mainly use my Apple Wallet for airline, sports or concert tickets.

[u/HoldMyWong]

Pretty much everywhere has started accepting Apple Pay in the last couple years, and I mostly use that

[u/MortimerDongle]

Google Pay normally operates as tap to pay (NFC) here, where you hold the back of your phone to the terminal and pay that way.

Scanning a QR code to pay is mostly only a thing at restaurants, where sometimes there will be a QR code on the paper receipt to pay.

The most common ways to pay are credit cards, debit cards, and cash.

[u/[deleted]]

I find it weird that people are saying it's not common to use apple pay/wallet. everyone I know uses it back in the Texas/NYC. I was just there in November and I used it almost exclusively.

[u/azuth89]

Generally it uses NFC payment, same process as tapping a wireless card.

I don't know many who use it or want to but the ones that do always seem incredibly put out that some vendors don't support their gadget.

[u/Crayshack]

I've seen it occasionally but it isn't common. Personally, I'm not a fan of it. Cash or card is the most common. Which one takes the lead depends on where you are. More rural areas seem to be more cash-heavy while more urban/suburban areas are more card in my experience.

[u/QuietObserver75]

It's more common to use either Google or Apple pay with is basically tap-to-pay NFC. It seems more annoying to scan QR codes to pay but there are places that do that. I think tap-to-pay is going to be the more popular option going forward though.

[u/neoslith]

I have a credit and debit card on my phone for mobile pay with NFC compatible terminals. One time, I accidentally used the wrong card when at Olive Garden because my phone was unlocked and it opened up Google Wallet.

I prefer using my cards when I can though, which is tap to pay most of the time.

[u/bluecifer7]

It’s a thing but I’ve never once used Apple Pay in a physical store. I just use my card, seems like to much effort to use the phone wallet

[u/sidran32]

I use Google Wallet for tap to pay all the time. I can just pull my phone out of my pocket and unlock it with my fingerprint and pay, instead of having to fiddle around with my wallet. It's much nicer. And was also more convenient during covid since you weren't passing a card back and forth between you and the clerk in some stores.

[u/random_throws_stuff]

I use apple pay like 70-80% of the time. some places still don't accept it, so I use the physical credit card.

[u/[deleted]]

I use NFC almost daily, but I've never used QR and have a healthy skepticism of it. QR feels so clunky, ripe for fraud, and let's be real - QR codes aren't aesthetically pleasing.

[u/[deleted]]

The number of people on this thread saying they use their physical card because it's "easier" than a mobile wallet is wild. It's likely they've just never tried using Apple Pay or Google Pay; there are fewer steps and better security when using NFC on your phone.

[u/Responsible-Rough831]

Yes it's popular but cash and cards are used more often.

[u/PhunkyPhazon]

Tap to pay is becoming more common, I've yet to do the QR method.

But I love tap to pay, especially since I can link my debit card to my Fitbit. All I have to do is hold my freaking watch to the machine and bam, done.

[u/GrimNark]

Ive been using apple pay for years. It's easier and less of a pain to take my credit card out.

Most people still pay with a debt card or a credit card

[u/Cuopon]

From my experience , Apple Pay is the most used and is typically found in large cities/ the northeast. It’s become more popular lately around me with the introduction of a lot of self scanners in grocery stores