Google Wallet brings contactless payment portal in PH with tap-to-pay

On November 18, 2025 (Tuesday), Google has officially launched Google Wallet in the Philippines, bringing a contactless payment portal to the country.

The new payment platform from the technology giant gives mobile devices the ability to pay in stores, online, and in-app through the platform’s ‘tap-to-pay’ system, providing users a convenient way to manage contactless transactions without opening the app.

Unlike other digital wallet platforms, Google Wallet is where you store your debit and credit card information. The way it works is that your phone can be used to pay wherever contactless payments are accepted. Once set up, you can tap your phone on point-of-sale machines without launching the app.

As part of the Wallet‘s initial rollout, participating banks and partners can be added to the app. Currently, Google Wallet supports the following (via Manila Bulletin):

• Visa and Mastercard cardholders (ChinaBank, EastWest Bank, RCBC Bank, and Zed)
• Visa cardholders (GoTyme, Maya, UnionBank, and Wise)
• Mastercard cardholders (GCash and Zed)

Boarding passes from Philippine Airlines, and other carriers including AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, Jetstar, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and Thai Airways can also be added on the app, which comes with instant alerts for flight changes.

Meanwhile, Google Wallet also welcomes other digital items such as loyalty cards, cinema tickets, and vouchers. Users can simply look for an “Add to Google Wallet” button to add one, which creates a digital version for quick access on the app.

Google Wallet uses tokenization and device-specific security codes for every transaction, according to GadgetMatch.

Google Wallet is now available for download via the Google Play Store. It can also be installed in smartwatches running on Wear OS.