Google has expanded its Wallet app and website to support digital passes, loyalty cards, and gift cards in Kenya. The app offers five ways to add items, including a "Popular nearby" list featuring Kenyan retailers such as Carrefour, Naivas, and Kenya Airways. Users can also upload a photo of a card that lacks a digital version, and Google's AI will extract the relevant details to create a virtual pass. This development allows Kenyan users to store and access their loyalty and gift cards digitally.
Despite the added functionality, Kenyan Visa and Mastercard holders are still unable to use the app for tap-to-pay transactions. When attempting to add a Kenyan payment card, the app marks it as "Not supported for contactless payments" and informs users that Kenyan cards are not yet eligible for tap-to-pay. This limitation is due to Google's internal list of supported payment methods not including any Kenyan banks, which is a requirement for contactless transactions to work.
A potential pilot program was hinted at by Nancy Kilimo, head of the card centre at Diamond Trust Bank, in a now-deleted LinkedIn post. The post suggested that a DTB card was added to Wallet, but Google has not announced a rollout. Kenyan users can still add cards to their Google account for online and in-app purchases, but this feature does not work at physical point-of-sale terminals.
The disparity in Google Wallet's capabilities between Kenya and other countries, such as Nigeria, is notable. Google launched tap-to-pay in Nigeria on October 28, 2026, listing four local banks as supported payment methods. This suggests that enabling tap-to-pay requires a specific set of conditions to be met, including the addition of local banks to Google's supported payment methods page.
According to Google, when tap-to-pay is enabled for Kenya, the country will appear on its Wallet country list, and Kenyan banks will be added to the supported payment methods page. This indicates that Google is working to expand its services in Kenya, but a timeline for the rollout of tap-to-pay has not been provided.
The addition of Kenyan loyalty and gift cards to Google Wallet is expected to benefit users who frequently shop at participating retailers. The app's ability to extract details from uploaded card photos using AI also makes it easier for users to add cards that do not have a digital version. However, the lack of tap-to-pay functionality remains a limitation for Kenyan users.
Google Wallet's expansion into Kenya is part of its broader efforts to increase the app's global reach. The app's capabilities vary by country, depending on local payment systems and regulations. As Google continues to develop its services, it is likely that more features will become available to Kenyan users in the future.
Key points
- Google Wallet now supports digital passes, loyalty cards, and gift cards in Kenya, but tap-to-pay remains unavailable for Visa and Mastercard holders.
- The app offers five ways to add items, including a "Popular nearby" list featuring Kenyan retailers.
- Kenyan users can add cards to their Google account for online and in-app purchases, but not for contactless transactions at physical point-of-sale terminals.
