How Do I Unlink A Payment Method from My Android Wallet? Remove Expired or Unwanted Credit Cards, Debit Cards, PayPal or other Payment Methods from Google Pay
Sometimes you may need to unlink a payment method from Android Wallet. Android wallets like Google Pay that users store multiple payment methods including credit cards, bank debit cards, an even PayPal accounts. Pier periodically you might have to unlink a payment card and add a new one if you receive a new physical card because your credit card or bank account was hacked or maybe the old one simply expired retailers and other apps are gaining popularity with mobile wallets offers a more secure shopping experience for online checkouts and in person shopping at retail locations.
Google used to offer two mobile Android wallet apps – Android Pay and Google Wallet. Google merged the two formerly separate apps into Google Pay in February 2018. The new Android wallet merged the best features of each Android wallet app. Although the majority of consumers still don’t use a mobile wallet when paying online or in stores, it is safer and slowly gaining in popularity. Payment card details are encrypted and not shared with the retailer when you pay with an Android wallet.
Android wallets can transfer cash to friends who are also using the app. Payment information is encrypted and not disclosed to the recipient. Android wallet payments are also faster and more convenient.
Mobile wallet users can shop safely online. Both in person and online mobile wallet payments are faster at the checkout. Google’s Android wallet can be linked and used in a number of connected accounts including Gmail, the Google Play store, and a number of other mobile apps that are used for payments.
READ: How to Secure Your Android Phone from Hackers
Android Pay merged the best features of Android Pay and Google Wallet. The newer Android wallet lets users store debit cards, credit cards, loyalty cards, and gift cards from stores. Payment information is safe and secure. The app claims to offer the same layer of protection consumers receive when paying with a bank or PayPal account. It’s interesting to note that many banks don’t offer the same level of consumer protections as PayPal or credit cards do.
Note: Google Pay is only available on Android devices running Lollipop operating system version 5.0 or better. The device cannot have been rooted.
Is Paying with Your Android Wallet Safe?
As of the first quarter of 2019, about half of all shoppers store payment information in an encrypted mobile wallet on their smartphones. But only about six percent of consumers actually use their mobile wallet to pay in person or online. The majority of shoppers still pay for goods with physical payment cards. About thirty-nine percent pay for purchases by presenting a credit card while 38.7% pay using a debit card. The percentages are almost identical for in-person food purchases.
Many shoppers may not even realize that they have Google Pay installed on their Phone and that it is synced with their web browser under the same Google account. Payment information that they stored in their web browser including credit cards, debit cards, and even PayPal maybe available in their Android wallet.
Pay in Stores with your Android Wallet
It is safer to pay with a mobile wallet than it is to use a physical card. Payment information is encrypted in the mobile wallet. Even the retailer does not have access to your full payment information. Hackers cannot steal your payment card numbers through a credit card skimmer because the payment card is not required to be presented. There is no chance that your full credit card numbers can be encrypted while shopping online especially if you are shopping using a nonsecure Wi-Fi connection.
Mobile Wallet shoppers can add credit cards or bank debit cards. PayPal can also be added as a payment method although PayPal has its own mobile wallet app.
READ: How to Safely Shop on Your iPhone
Android Wallets Increase Privacy
Mobile wallets add another layer of data privacy that many users are unaware of. Payment information, like full credit card numbers, are encrypted in the Android wallet. The encrypted data is used to complete a payment, but the full credit card numbers are not disclosed to the recipient. This adds a layer of security because there is no worry that you may leave your card at the checkout all around it makes check out faster and more convenient.
Retailers track shoppers through their apps and payment cards. When a person purchases something in a brick-and-mortar location with a credit card, advertising channels like Facebook and Google, track the effectiveness of advertiser marketing spend and report activity back to them. Google tracks you in all of their apps including Google Maps, Chrome web browser, and YouTube. Your shopping behavior is also stored in aggregate databases to sell the advertisers and businesses.
Safely Shop Online with Your Phone
With an Android wallet, users can shop safely online in website and apps using a phone. Payment card details aren’t shared by Google Pay. Payment information does not have to be re -entered in a web checkout when using a wallet. Users can pay safely in Android apps using a mobile wallet – the payment information is encrypted and stored in a Google account.
Pay in Messaging Apps with Android Wallet
Google’s Android wallet attempts to take the place of other mobile wallets. Many consumers outside of the United States routinely send and request money across messaging apps, pay for purchases, buy tickets, and pay for transportation through messaging apps like WeChat. This functionality is not readily available to US consumers who are behind on adopting the technology and convenience. Messaging apps that do allow payments don’t have a lot to offer for cross border payments.
Google Pay lets users send money across Gmail and Android Messages. Google Pay Android wallet users can also send and receive cash from friends when their Android wallet is connected to a bank account. Google Pay can also be used to split the bill at restaurants.
Android Wallets Access Loyalty Cards and Promos like Apple Pay Does
Like Apple Pay, Google Pay Android wallet lets users store retailer loyalty cards, coupons, promotions, when the loyalty cards are added to the mobile wallet . eTickets can also be automatically stored in the Android wallet if they are sent to a Gmail account that the user has connected to Google Pay. For example, when I buy a ticket to the Las Vegas monorail, I always buy it ahead of time, online at a discount. The monorail pass can be stored and accessed in my Google Pay app.
Unlink A Payment Method from My Android Wallet
Android wallet users can manage their payment information on line in a web browser or in the Google pay app payment methods are synced across all Google accounts, so information only needs to be updated in one place.
- Open Google Pay App on your smartphone or mobile device
- From the app’s home screen scroll down to “Manage all your payment methods OR Tap the Payment icon on the bottom of the screen
- Tap View Payment Methods
- Tap the payment method you want to unlink from Android Wallet
- When the detail screen opens, tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen
- Select Remove payment method
Shop Safely with Android Wallet – Update Apps
Shopping with a mobile wallet is more secure because users don’t have to use a physical card at the checkout – either online or in person. But the key to shopping safely with Android wallet is to keep all apps and your Android operating system up-to-date. When you fall behind on updating apps with the latest security patches, you give hackers the opportunity to steal information from your phone. Many app and operating system patches fix critical security vulnerabilities. When you leave your phone unpatched, you make it easier for hackers to steal your money.
