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Google is shutting down its Wallet Cards, the physical debit cards for Google Wallet accounts. The debit cards let Wallet users spend money from their Wallet account when shopping at a retailer that doesn’t support contactless NFC payments.
Google Wallet’s physical payment card is being retired.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
When does support for Wallet Cards end?
Wallet Cards will stop working on June 30, 2016 and you will not be able to add money (including any recurring transfers) to your Google Wallet account after May 1, 2016.
What will happen to my Wallet Card?
Your Google Wallet account will remain, but after June 30 you will only be able to use it to make Google Play purchases as a peer-to-peer payment service to send and receive money from friends. If you created a Google Wallet account for the sole purpose of using a Wallet Card, you can transfer your Wallet balance to your bank account at anytime.
For those who set up Android Pay with a Wallet Card, you will need to add another card to Android Pay before June 30. Same goes for any automatic payments you make with your Wallet Card — you’ll need to pick a new card for those payments before June 30.
Wallet Card alternatives
If you live in an area slow to adopt NFC mobile payments and want a similar card to your soon-to-be-deactivated Wallet Card, Google suggests the American Express Serve card or the Simple Visa card.
With the Amex Serve card, you’ll earn 1 percent cash back on purchases, but pay a $5.95 monthly fee (unless you live in New York, Texas or Vermont). And for Wallet Card users, Amex will give you $20 after your third direct deposit of $500 or more. There are no fees with the Simple Visa card, and Wallet Card owners will get $20 just for opening a Simple account.
