Brady is a technology journalist for MakeUseOf with years of experience covering all things mobile, computing, and general tech. He has a focus on Android phones and audio gear, and holds a B.S. in Journalism from St. John’s University.
Brady has written for publications like Android Central, Android Authority, XDA, Android Police, iMore, and others. He has experience reporting on major events held by Google, Apple, and Samsung, as well as trade shows like Lenovo Innovation World and IFA.
When he’s not writing about and testing the latest gadgets, you’ll find Brady watching Big East basketball and running.
I’ve used digital wallets for over a decade. Contactless payments are all but ubiquitous now, and I rarely use physical cards to buy things in the real world — Apple Pay and Google Pay make nearly all my purchases. All my event tickets go into my Apple Wallet and Google Wallet apps. But I’ve never been able to completely replace my physical wallet.
Support for driver’s licenses and state ID cards is still limited, and my state isn’t supported by either Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. I have a bunch of loyalty cards, passes, and tickets that don’t officially support Google Wallet, too. Digital wallets have features that aim to fill these gaps, like U.S. passport support. However, the feature that finally allowed me to leave my wallet at home was Google Wallet’s custom pass creator.
I couldn’t leave my wallet at home
Until I started creating custom passes in Google Wallet
By now, most Android users are likely familiar with the process of adding a supported card or pass to the Google Wallet app. Payment cards, like debit and credit cards, can be scanned and automatically added to the Google Wallet app. Transit passes can be supported, too, so long as your transit agency offers Google Wallet integration. It’s a similar story for loyalty and gift cards — search your store, sign in to your account or scan a pass, and add it to your Google Wallet.
The issues arise when you try to add a pass to Google Wallet that isn’t natively supported. Cards and passes I rely on daily, including my ID, insurance card, and transit pass, don’t have Google Wallet compatibility. There’s an option in Google Wallet designed specifically for these passes: Everything else. It’s open-ended, and that’s on purpose.
Google Wallet can use AI to turn anything into a custom pass. You can take a photo, scan a document, or select a screenshot to create a custom Google Wallet pass from the information provided. Open Google Wallet, tap the + icon, and hit Everything else. The camera will open in auto-capture mode, and you also have the option to manually take a photo or pick one from your gallery.
After selecting a photo or scanning a pass, you can crop and rotate it before continuing. This is important, because you’ll be able to access the original photo from the Google Wallet app later. Press Next when you’re ready, and wait for the pass to process. You’ll be able to view a preview of the custom pass and make any necessary changes on the final screen. To finish up, tap Add.
The neat thing about Google Wallet’s custom passes is that they work with any type of data. Barcodes and QR codes will be added to the custom pass, and they can be used immediately after the Google Wallet item is created. If there’s no barcode or QR code to be found on the pass you’re scanning, the information is added as plain text to the custom Google Wallet card.
Google lets you turn anything into a pass
I’ve added insurance and store loyalty cards to Wallet
Creating a custom pass in Google Wallet is simple, but let’s talk about the ways I actually use them. As I mentioned, my state doesn’t support digital IDs of any kind. So, I took photos of the front and back of my license, and turned it into a custom Google Wallet pass. It’s important to emphasize that this is not a legally valid copy of my government ID, but it’s still incredibly useful in my Google Wallet.
I can’t show the Google Wallet version of my license during a traffic stop or at a checkpoint, but I can quickly see my license number, issued date, and expiration date straight from my digital wallet. This is handy when filling out forms, both in-person and online. Many of us keep photos of our IDs on our phones anyway, and by creating a private pass in Google Wallet, these photos are automatically password protected.
I added my car insurance card to my Google Wallet for the same reason. It conveniently stores my policy number, issued date, and expiration date on my phone. Plus, it adds my insurance company’s phone number to the custom pass, so I don’t have to scrounge for the digits in a stressful moment. And because Google Wallet stores the original photo used to create custom passes, I can show it as a legally valid copy in my state.
I’ve also used custom passes to digitize my frequent flyer number and barcode, as well as my Best Buy Total membership pass. I need that frequent flyer number often while traveling and booking flights, and having it always in my Google Wallet is super convenient. Small passes, like movie theater tickets or loyalty cards, also get added to my Google Wallet.
Don’t wait for the ‘Add to Google Wallet’ button
The best way to build a digital wallet is to make your own passes
It’s worth noting that not every pass can be added to Google Wallet. If a pass uses a dynamic QR code, which changes over time to prevent sharing, it can’t be turned into a custom Google Wallet pass. If you have a physical card that relies on NFC or RFID, and it’s not officially supported by Google Wallet, it won’t work either. Generally speaking, if screenshots and photos of a pass work, that pass can be added to Google Wallet.
I spent years envying people who could replace their entire physical wallet with the Google Wallet app until I tried the app’s best feature. With custom passes, I can put almost anything into my Google Wallet. It houses information, barcodes, QR codes, and photos securely behind my phone’s passcode and biometrics. Now that I’ve started creating custom passes, I can’t live without them.
