23 August 2022
Absa has expanded its digital payments universe with Google Wallet™, amid rapidly growing customer demand for convenient, innovative and secure digital payment options.
“Following record increases in contactless card volumes last year, with debit and credit card usage surging by 231% and transaction volumes rising by 180%, customer demand for reliable contactless wallet payment and e-commerce options are higher than ever before. In a tangible display of our commitment to provide customers with even more world-class payment options, we are delighted to announce that Absa is one of the first South African banks to offer Google Wallet™,” said Tshipi Alexander, Head of Card Issuing, Absa Everyday Banking.
“The Google Wallet™ provides a fast, easy and safe way to pay with any Android phone or Wear OS device,” said Alistair Mokoena, Google SA Country Director. “You can tap and ride the train, tap to pay in stores, have easy access to your boarding pass, store your loyalty cards and more. Keep everything protected in one place, no matter where you go.”
This world-class service is easily available to customers by simply downloading Google Wallet™ from the Google Play store to their Android device. Once downloaded, customers can set up their Absa debit or credit cards in the Google Wallet™ App for easy contactless payments by selecting ‘Add to Card’, then manually entering the card details and verifying the information. At the merchant checkout, customers unlock their device, hold it near the Point-of-Sale device and lookout for the check mark to confirm payment success. Users can tap and pay everywhere Google Wallet™ is accepted, at no additional charge.
With Google Wallet™, security is also a high priority and through tokenised payments, customer card details are never exposed when paying.
The Google Pay app works alongside Google Wallet™. Customers can use Google Wallet™ to store their everyday essentials such as cards, tickets, passes, keys and IDs and the Google Pay app to manage their money and finances. Android and Google Wallet™ are trademarks of Google LLC.
“Absa continuously looks to improve the payment experience for our customers and we constantly consider various technologies as they become available to the market. The introduction of Google Wallet™ is further evidence of our commitment to offer a convenient and secure digital payments ecosystem. We have seen this vision unfold over the past four years,” Alexander added.
Android security you can count on
Beyond convenience, Google Wallet™ offers more safety than a physical wallet – it is protected with advanced security features from Android phones, like 2-Step Verification, Find My Phone, and more. Security and privacy are built into every part of Google Wallet™ to keep all your essentials protected.
When you tap to pay with your Android phone, Google Pay doesn’t share your actual card numbers with the merchant, so your payment information stays safe. Plus, with easy-to-use privacy settings, you’re in control of who sees and uses your data.
For queries, Absa customers can reach us on 08600 08600.
