What you need to know
- Google has added support for nearly 100 new banks in the Google Wallet app over the last two months.
- The latest round of additions saw 42 banks join the Google Wallet app in January 2024.
- The added support comes ahead of Google's planned shutdown of the Google Pay app, which will occur June 4, 2024.
Google has been steadily making improvements to the Google Wallet app, adding support for new features and new ways to pay. The company has been consistent in its position that Google Wallet is the future and Google Pay is the past. To that end, it announced that Google Pay will officially shutter on June 4, 2024, in the U.S. Ahead of that shutdown, Google is adding more supported banks to the Google Wallet app.
The full list of supported banks can be found in a Google support document, and it includes 42 new institutions. Android Police first spotted the additions, which include the following banks:
- Abilene Teachers Federal Credit Union
- Austin County State Bank (TX)
- Bank of Monticello (MO)
- Bison State Bank (MO)
- Boost Your Score
- Carolina Trust Federal Credit Union
- Century Next Bank (LA)
- Citizens First Bank (WI)
- Community National Bank in Monmouth (IL)
- Cottonwood Community Federal Credit Union (ID)
- County-City Credit Union (WI)
- Diamond Valley Federal Credit Union (IN)
- First National Bank of Manchester (FNBM) (KY)
- First State Bank of LeCenter (MN)
- Forest Area Federal Credit Union (MI)
- Granite Preferred
- Highway Crossroads Credit Union (MO)
- Hope Federal Credit Union (WV)
- KS Bank, Inc (NC)
- Lake Region Bank (MN)
- Liberty Bank NA (CA)
- LincOne Federal Credit Union
- Lion's Share Federal Credit Union (NC)
- Monroe County Teachers Federal Credit Union (FL)
- Netevia
- PAHO/WHO FCU (DC)
- Pheple Federal Credit Union
- Planters Bank, Inc
- Racine Municipal Employees Credit Union (WI)
- Rave Financial Credit Union
- River Region Credit Union (MO)
- SPC Credit Union
- Star of Texas Credit Union (TX)
- Telhio Credit Union (OH)
- Ten Credit Union
- Tongass Federal Credit Union
- Thumb Bank & Trust (MI)
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- TrailNorth Federal Credit Union
- Valley Bank of Commerce (NM)
- Washington State Bank (LA)
- West Alabama Bank & Trust (AL)
These are all relatively small banks, so you might not recognize them. Nearly all of the major players in the banking industry already support Google Wallet, but it's a good thing that Google continues to add more institutions. Not everyone uses big banks, and support for smaller ones in Google Wallet allows those people to access critical features like contactless payments.
The 42 newcomers in the Google Wallet app as of January join the 44 banks that were added the month prior. Google has added support for a total of 86 banks over the last two months, plus some high-profile services. Namely, Venmo is now supported in the Google Wallet app as of December 2023.
However, Google's recent feature additions to Google Wallet — such as supporting more banks — won't outright replace Google Pay. When the app is discontinued later this year, Google's official peer-to-peer payment system will go with it. Additionally, some Google Pay features will be relegated to a web client, like transferring a cash balance.
Although there were definitely some benefits to Google Pay, the Google Wallet app is the more versatile choice. Aside from bank cards and payment methods, Google Wallet can hold things like passes or digital IDs. Plus, as is shown by the 42 new banks that were added last month, Google Wallet is the one that Google is actively improving.