Google Wallet adds new feature Apple Wallet users will envy — paying on-the-go just got easier

Google Wallet is set to receive a huge change in its functionality, now allowing users to pay for items even if they don’t have NFC available on their phone. When in the payment stage at a restaurant, store or even local booths at a convention, there is sometimes a QR code available to pay for items with.

Normally, you might resort to something like Venmo or other external apps to pay for these items, but that should no longer be a problem. Users will soon be able to pay directly through Google Wallet, which is huge in other countries like Brazil.

Many users, especially those in America, won’t see much of a different with this, as NFC is incredibly common nowadays. NFC, or near field communication, allows for your device to easily send information over to other devices by simply holding them close together. Without it, contactless payments are not possible.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly the case for some phones today without the technology. A vast majority of modern smartphones from the last several years feature NFC, but for those who still boast older phones, or even many individuals in another country like Brazil, it’s important that the app implements alternative methods of paying for items.

Google Wallet’s upcoming change was revealed at the Google for Brazil event, where the company discussed its reasoning for the change. According to Google, Brazil will be the first country to receive Google Wallet’s QR code payment system because a “significant portion of smartphones do not have NFC.”

For those in other countries looking forward to the addition of this feature, we weren’t quite told when we could expect it, but we do know it’s coming. Brazil will be receiving the feature in the coming months, while the company also references that they will be the “first” to get access to it, likely meaning we’ll see it in other places before long.