Google Wallet trialing passport feature as part of digital ID

Google is in the early stages of beta testing a digital passport feature for U.S. citizens. The feature will be tested and incorporated into the Google Wallet, which currently houses credit cards and other sensitive information linked to a user’s smartphone biometric data.

The announcement on Google’s blog (September 12) revealed the beta testing plans.

The digital wallet is almost two years old, and according to data from PYMNTS.com, 70% of consumers across Brazil, France, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S. regularly use the service to house cards, tickets, and other digital data.

Google already has state-certified digital IDs, corporate name badges, student IDs, and more that can be added to the wallet feature. This new ID pass is created using the code on the back of a U.S. passport. The Google statement says:

“Select the prompt in the Google Wallet app to “create an ID pass with your U.S. passport” and follow the instructions to scan the security chip in the back of your passport. You’ll be asked to take a selfie video to verify your identity.”

According to Google, some Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints currently accept digital ID. This is a broader part of digitizing information passes to unlock more features via the Google Wallet says Alan Stapelberg, Group Product Manager of Google Wallet.

He posted (September 12) an article about the route the company is taking to incorporate physical identification and passes into the digital wallet.

Painting the picture of someone traveling on holiday via airport check-in, buying a drink via Google Pay, arriving at the destination, and seamlessly adding both the rental car and hotel keys to the Google Wallet. He conjures a scene that’s been made easy via the beta-tested features mentioned earlier.

He says, “You do all of this with your phone—no physical wallet required.”

More states are exploring the digital adoption of certified work IDs secured by biometrics. Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia have transitioned from physical-only identification to accepting state IDs from Google Wallet holders. The state of California began accepting IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet in some TSA-controlled locations.

Image: Google.

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