At I/O 2025, Google Wallet and Pay had a number of announcements, including some new features (like nearby passes) that end users will benefit from.
The Google Pay payment sheet (as seen above) is what appears in third-party apps when you make a transaction with stored cards. At I/O 2025, a redesign that adds a dark theme “for a more integrated feel” was announced. We’re already seeing it live on our devices, with Google also adding “richer card art and names” to make card selection faster.
Meanwhile, Digital IDs are a big focus for Google Wallet, with their availability helping power other capabilities. With Zero-Knowledge Proof, Google wants to allow “age verification without any possibility to link back to a user’s personal identity.” The company will open-source these libraries.
Currently, it’s available to Android apps through the Credential Manager Jetpack Library and mobile web, with desktop Chrome in testing. Google showed off a “seamless experience between Chrome on desktop and your Android device” that involves QR code scanning.
Google Wallet is adding Nearby Passes notifications that send users an alert when they’re near a specific location. This can be used by loyalty cards, offers, boarding passes, or event tickets. For example, if you’re near a coffee shop, the notification provides one-tap access to immediately open the associated loyalty card.
Users can control this from that Pass Detail Screen (“Get notifications for this loyalty card”) and in system Settings.
Passes can also now show “relevant deals, promotions, and additional services” as a card below the pass and fullscreen feed.
By highlighting these value-added benefits, such as exclusive offers or upgrade options, you can guide users back to your app or website, creating a dynamic gateway for ongoing user interaction.
With an update to Auto Linked Passes, airlines that have loyalty cards for frequent flyer programs can “ automatically push boarding passes to their users’ wallets once they check in for a flight.”
Google is also adding passes that can include a picture of the user: “For example, this allows you to create digital business cards, membership passes, or event tickets with the user profile image on it. Please note that this feature can’t be used for official identity verification.”
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