Google Wallet launches in Malaysia with support for CIMB bank, Hong Leong Bank, Public Bank, HSBC, Visa & Air Asia

• Lets users access payment cards & boarding passes on Android & Wear OS devices
• Feature is compatible with any contactless payment terminal across Malaysia

Google today announced that Google Wallet is now available in Malaysia. The feature lets users pay using their bank’s debit and credit card through their Android and WearOS devices. It also supports digital items such as boarding passes.

“According to the e-Conomy SEA 2022 report, digital payments are gaining popularity and are expected to hit almost US$200 billion in gross transaction value in Malaysia by 2025,” said Google Malaysia Managing Director, Marc Woo.

“As Malaysians increasingly embrace a digital, mobile-led lifestyle, we remain agile in meeting the ever-changing customer needs. Smartphone penetration in Malaysia is close to 95% and many daily activities are already facilitated digitally. With Google Wallet as a new feature, close to 65% of our customers who are on the Android platform will enjoy an easy, safe and secure usage and payment experience,” added Hong Leong Bank Personal Financial Services Managing Director, Andrew Jong.

Ng Kong Boon (KB), Country Manager for Visa Malaysia said, “The launch of Google Wallet in Malaysia will enable more Visa cardholders to make mobile payments in a country where contactless payments are extremely well-received. In Malaysia today, more than seven in 10 Visa transactions are contactless payments and we’re also rolling out new contactless acceptance in the country. The introduction of Google Wallet will enable more Visa cardholders to make seamless and secure payments both online and face-to-face, propelling the country into becoming a cashless society,” added KB.

At launch Google Wallet works with CIMB Bank (Mastercard credit cards), Hong Leong Bank and Hong Leong Islamic Bank (all credit and debit cards), and Public Bank (Visa credit and debit cards).

[Ed: Para edited for accuracy.]

HSBC (Visa and Mastercard credit cards) and HSBC Amanah (Visa and Mastercard credit cards) will be supported in the coming months. Google wallet can be used wherever contactless payments are accepted, even overseas. It can also be used to pay online or in-app wherever there is the Google Pay button.

Currently, boarding passes from AirAsia could also be added to Google Wallet. Users will be notified of changes to departure time and gate changes as well.

Additionally boarding passes of over 40 airline partners such as Singapore Airlines, AirAsia, Southwest, United, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Easyjet, Air France, JAL, and Eurostar are supported. According toGoogle, support for Malaysian Airlines boarding passes is coming soon.

According to the Visa 2021 Consumer Payment Attitudes report, usage of mobile contactless payment solutions has increased for more than half (60%) of Malaysian consumers, citing safety (58%) and convenience (53%) as the top drivers for usage in comparison to carrying cash, because of the pandemic. In 2021, Visa found that 70% of all transactions were contactless, highlighting the rising interest and awareness among Malaysians.

Using Google wallet

Eligible credit or debit cards saved to your Google account will automatically appear in Google Wallet and ready to be set up. Just follow instructions on the screen.

Users can also add a new card to their Wallet, by tapping “Add a card” in the carousel at the top of the page. A prompt to review the issuer’s terms and conditions must be accepted before use. Next, verify the card information and it will be tokenized and ready for use in Google Wallet.

To add digital items such as boarding passes to Google Wallet, a corresponding app will be needed. For example, after purchasing a flight ticket from the airasia super app, tapping “Add to Google Wallet” will create a  digital version of the boarding pass in Google Wallet.

Security

Google Wallet uses all the security of the Android phone and including industry-standard tokenization. Transactions are made using an alternate card number (a token), which is device-specific and is associated with a dynamic security code that changes with each transaction.

Banks will also need to verify the cardholder before a card can be added to your phone. Google advises users to set a Lock Screen on their devices to prevent strangers from accessing it. If the device is ever lost or stolen, use the “Find My Device” function to instantly lock the device remotely, secure it with a new password, or wipe it clean of personal information and payment card details.

“We also want to provide transparency and control around how information is managed, and you can update settings from the Google Wallet app or on your computer at myactivity.google.com/product/wallet,” said Google.

CIMB promotion

In conjunction with the launch, from 15 Nov 2022 to 28 Feb 2023, CIMB will also be running a cashback campaign to encourage customers to try out Google Wallet. Any CIMB customer who spends a minimum of RM100 per transaction using their CIMB Bank Mastercard credit card via Google Pay will get RM10 cashback. Each customer is only eligible for one cashback transaction per month during the campaign period, for a maximum of up to RM40 in total.

Compatability

Contactless payment with Google Wallet is compatible with Android and WearOS with NFC support. To get started, download Google Wallet from the Google Play Store.

Key partners at the launch with Google Malaysia's Marc Woo (middle).