Google Wallet

Google Wallet rolling out ‘Verification settings’ on Android [U]

Abner Li | Apr 15 2024 - 9:15 am PT

New “Verification settings” in Google Wallet for Android let you “choose if you’ll need to verify it’s you when using your payment methods and passes in Wallet.”

Update 4/15: Over the past few days, Verification settings have widely rolled out. You might see new cards in the passes list explaining the new options:

With this transit change, Google Wallet should also be widely rolling out more frequent authentication for general tap-to-pay. If you open or go to use Wallet three minutes after a phone unlock, Google will want you to re-verify. This takes the form of a “Verify it’s you” prompt that appears at the top of the card carousel.

Choose if you’ll need to verify it’s you when using your items stored in Wallet. You’ll verify using your device lock setting, like fingerprint or PIN.

Original 3/25: Open Google Wallet, tap your profile image, and select Wallet settings to find the new “Security” heading. The Verification settings page is just home to “Transit payments” today: “Verification before paying for the bus, metro, and more with a credit or debit card.”

Top comment by Rick Martin

Liked by 12 people

Not happy. Paying by contactless using a traditional physical card doesn't require any security at all - it's just tap and go. However, paying using my phone requires me to press the power button, which means no chance of a drive-by attack, so the phone was already more secure than a card, and the cards were already considered secure enough.

There's zero need for the unlock to verify in addition.

View all comments

Google explains how the “reader will look for transit cards first,” which “never require verification.” If there are none, a “credit or debit card may be charged.”

You have the option to disable the “Verification required” toggle that’s on by default: “If verification required is off, you won’t need to verify it’s you before paying for transit with your default credit or debit card, even when your phone is locked. You’ll still verify for all other payments with this card.” This has the potential of greatly speeding up public transit transactions.

We’re seeing Verification settings with version 24.08.12 of Google Play services, though Google Wallet 24.10.x also widely rolled out today.

This addition follows reports that Google Wallet in some countries is now requiring device unlocks for tap to pay (store) transactions regardless of the amount.