By Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Wallet will gain QR code payment functionality in the coming months.
- This addition is limited to Brazil for now, though.
- We hope to see this option in other emerging markets too.
NFC-based payments are ultra-popular today, with the likes of Google Wallet and Apple Pay allowing people to make payments in lieu of tapping their card to pay. Not every phone comes with an NFC chip though, forcing these users to adopt QR code-based payments.
Now, Google has announced (h/t: 9to5Google) that Google Wallet has finally received support for QR code-based payments as well.
The company revealed the news as part of a slew of announcements for Brazil, and the feature is indeed limited to this market for now.
“The new feature, to be launched in the coming months, makes any Android device capable of making digital payments with credit and debit cards by using their camera to scan dynamic codes in payment machines,” read an excerpt of the announcement.
Either way, a first-party QR-based solution is a big deal in emerging markets. Many low-end smartphones in these regions lack NFC in the first place, forcing consumers to use QR-based payments via third-party services. Furthermore, the fact that you only need a camera and data connection to conduct these payments means that it’s theoretically possible to make QR code payments via a feature phone.
We’ve asked Google whether Wallet’s new QR payment feature will be available outside Brazil in the future. We’ll update the article if/when the company gets back to us.
