Google Wallet explains unlock and payment verification changes

In recent weeks, Google Wallet has rolled out two changes related to unlocking your phone for payment verification and the Android app is now explaining what’s new.  

A prompt below your card carousel and above your list of passes explains how “Every payment is secure.” Tapping “learn more” takes you to a “Secure by design” page that explains the two changes that Google Wallet has made in recent weeks.

The first is how “Your credit and debit cards can’t be charged unless you’ve used a verification method, like your fingerprint or PIN, recently” when making “retail payments.” Google Wallet accepts PIN, Pattern, Password, Fingerprint, Iris scan, and 3D face unlock, but not “2D face unlock or screen locks like Smart Unlock or Knock to Unlock.”

Before this, you didn’t have to unlock your device for “smaller payments” in certain countries, especially European ones where the threshold is as high as €50 or $100 AUD in Australia. For comparison, “unlock is required for all transactions” in the US.

In recent weeks, Google Wallet users in those areas have been prompted to unlock their Android phone regardless of the transaction amount. This is a good change for security, but some users have complained and want Google Wallet to just follow the same behavior/limits as their physical cards.

Meanwhile, the second change detailed on the prompt is related to the new “Verification settings” in Google Wallet that let you “ride transit without verifying it’s you first.” 

Open Google Wallet settings to enable the “Verification required” toggle for your credit or debit cards if you want additional security. Conversely, you can turn it off to speed up bus, rail, etc. transactions. Transit cards do not require verification.