Digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Wallet are now widely accepted, offering a convenient way to store payment cards and other passes on a phone or smartwatch. The article argues that their main advantages are speed, reduced reliance on a physical wallet and stronger protection against card-data theft, although users should still keep another payment option available.

They can also hold tickets, loyalty cards, boarding passes, hotel keys and, in some places, digital IDs or car keys, while simplifying online checkout. Security relies on device authentication and tokenisation, which creates transaction-specific data rather than exposing a card number; however, compatibility varies by device and merchant, and digital payments should not be the sole backup.