How to Use Google Wallet to Store Loyalty Cards and Gift Cards

Regardless of whether you use Google Wallet to make payments, it’s worth using the app to consolidate your various membership and gift cards. Doing so is easier than you might think.​

Google Wallet Isn’t Just for Payments

Just like a physical wallet, Google Wallet can store various types of cards that you’re compelled to carry around. Debit and credit cards first come to mind, but that’s just the top of the list. You can use Google Wallet as a transit pass to let you board the metro. In some places, Google Wallet can even store your driver’s license.

Loyalty cards come in a few forms. Some merely offer discounts, like a Kroger card. Others are required for entry, such as with wholesale retailers like Costco and Sam’s Club. Some establishments that aren’t retailers fall into this category as well, such as gyms and airlines.

Gift cards, which carry a balance that can only be used in a specific store, function differently from your regular payment cards. Google Wallet treats them more like loyalty cards and all the other types of non-payment cards you can add.

How to Add Loyalty Cards

To add loyalty cards to Google Wallet, open the app and then:

1. Tap the “Add to Wallet” button on the bottom right. This will take you to a screen presenting different types of cards that Google Wallet supports.
2. Select “Loyalty Card.”

Google Wallet will then provide you with a list of stores to pick from. You can find many national brands, like CVS, Lowe’s, and Regal Cinemas just by scrolling. This is hardly an exhaustive list, so don’t panic if what you’re looking for doesn’t appear under “Popular Nearby.” Just hit the search bar at the top and type away. Then tap the one you’re looking for when it pops up.

At this point, Google Wallet will open a camera and let you scan your loyalty card to add it automatically.

If your card doesn’t scan for whatever reason, you can often enter the member ID number manually instead by tapping the “Enter Manually” button in the bottom right.

​How to Add Gift Cards

To add gift cards to Google Wallet, open the app and follow these instructions:

1. Tap the “Add to Wallet” button in the bottom-right corner.
2. Select “Gift Cards.” This will pull up a list of popular retailers nearby that offer gift cards. You can tap one or search manually, just like with loyalty cards.

Once you’ve selected a retailer, here the instructions differ. Instead of scanning a card, you must enter information manually.

Some stores, like McDonald’s, only ask you for a card number and the remaining balance. Others, like Kohl’s, will ask you to enter a PIN as well. In either case, you can also enter notes, such as a reminder of who the gift card is from. Hit “Add to Wallet” when you’re done.

​How to Use Your Cards In-Store and Online

To use either a loyalty card or a gift card in-store, open the Google Wallet app. You will see your payment cards at the top, prompting you to hold your phone against the reader. Immediately below, you will see your other cards.

To use a card:

1. Tap on a card to bring up its barcode.
2. Place the on-screen barcode in front of a scanner.

If the barcode does not work, or a scanner is not available, the membership or gift card number is listed below the barcode. The latter is also useful whenever you want to use a gift card online. You can hold down on the number to copy and paste the information into a web browser or another app.

To view your remaining balance, tap the menu button in the top-right when the barcode is visible.

How to Remove a Card

Memberships and gift cards don’t linger around as long as payment cards. Some you will remove after a year when your annual membership is set to expire. Gift cards might not even make it until the end of the day before you deplete them of any value.

To delete a card:

1. Tap on the card in Google Wallet so that the barcode appears.
2. Tap the menu button in the top right.
3. Scroll down to the bottom to find the “Remove” button.

Using Google Wallet for your loyalty and gift cards keeps them from fattening up what might otherwise be a slim wallet. This might also be the key to you finally getting to try out a wallet that only holds a couple of cards.

If you have a Galaxy phone, you’re not limited to Google Wallet. You can opt to use Samsung Wallet instead, since both apps have most of the same features.