“The Cash is King” used to be the age-old adage. But this must adapt to the new normal of technology where, without having cash or a card, you can still be the king. COVID-19 has transformed the transaction behavior of billions of people all over the world. Exchanging cash and handing over your card to the teller is fraught upon.
Stay-home practices and social distancing have made mobile wallets and payment apps a household name. The young generation, mostly below 35, is already using these apps daily. Their adoption has skyrocketed largely because even middle-aged people and seniors are using them.
This article touches on the basics of mobile e-wallet apps – what they are, how they are used, and how they are secure. Then, just for you, we showcase the most successful e-wallet apps with their best features.
One Phone Wallet For Everything
The mobile revolution in the smartphone space had brought people closer even when they were forced to be at a distance. The digital transaction allowed the gears of the economy to shift even during the worst of times. Now you need not stand in ATM lines, visit your bank branch, or write checks to make payments.
Now all you need is your smartphone to make payments – to a local store, to a friend, for online shopping, utility bills, and even for making investments. A mobile wallet or an e-wallet can access your bank account or stored cards to charge against them for any transaction. You can create as small payments as a couple of dollars for a quick snack as thousands of dollars for a booking at the ski resort.
Why Must You Use An E-Wallet?
- Automate Bill Payments
- No Separate App Needed
- Usage and Loyalty Rewards
- Pay to People
- Pay to self
- Receive Money
- Pay at Stores
- No (or Low) Fees
- High Payment Limits
- Support for International Transactions
- Support for Online Payments
- Security
- Pre-Orders
Without further delay, let us explore the globally most successful e-wallet apps.
The Most Successful E-Wallet Mobile Apps
1. Amazon Pay
The reach of Amazon has made Amazon Pay one of the most used and widely accepted e-wallets. Amazon Pay integrates into the local wallet payment mechanism and offers payments through cards and bank accounts. By using Amazon Pay, the checkout process on the Amazon store is lightning fast.
Features
- Use the Amazon account to shop on thousands of partner sites.
- Superfast checkout using the app, website, and Alexa.
- Complete protection on eligible purchases.
- Available as a mobile wallet, on the web, and through Alexa.
- You can set up scheduled payments and recurring payments, and split bills.
2. Google Pay
The most widely used payments app Google Pay is offered by one of the most dominating names in technology – Google. Its different versions are available for other countries to comply with their regulations. The app is intuitive, well-designed, and loaded with features.
You can use both your credit cards and bank account to top up your wallet balance. It allows easy transfer to and from the bank account. It is available through Google assistant through voice commands, on Android-based wearable devices, and mobile apps.
Features
- Fast Payments.
- Compatible with PayPal.
- Multiple layers of security.
- Quick checkout on Google Play Store and in-app purchases.
- Supports Voice-based, QR Code, and Mobile number-based transactions.
- Auto bill-pay reminders and payments.
- No charges.
- Easy API integration for developers.
- Offers generous cashback and rewards.
- Supported by all major mobile platforms.
3. PayPal
One of the oldest and only surviving payments platforms from the tech bubble of the 1990s, PayPal is now available as a convenient and easy-to-use app. You can now use PayPal for micropayments, offline and online shopping, and splitting bills with friends.
Features
- Oldest and most reliable platform.
- Highly secure.
- Quick checkout process.
- Great information management.
- No charges for using the app.
- Worldwide acceptability.
4. Apple Pay
Apple is now offering a wide range of Apple technologies in the payments space – like Apple Card, Apple Cash, and Apple Pay. These services collaborate seamlessly with each other and work smoothly within the App Store. Link your Apple pay account with your bank or debit card and start securely using the app.
Features
- Security is better than most places to secure devices and transactions.
- Real-time monitoring and fraud detection.
- Can file the claim for an unauthorized transaction within 90 days.
- Dedicated support team.
- Works with most banks and cards.
- Intuitive UI/UX.
- Compatible models are higher than the 5s.
- No support for online shopping checkouts.
- P2P transfers are limited to other Apple users only.
5. Venmo
lidVenmo is the only central global app that supports SMS-based payments and transfers. The free version limits the weekly transactions, while a verified account can send up to $3,000/week. A focused approach with solid execution makes Venmo a clear contender for the market leader in most markets it is present in.
Features
- Network of trustworthy people.
- Approved merchants’ list.
- Make P2P payments and request payments from social media.
- Transfer funds to your bank account.
- Safety against unauthorized transactions.
- A standard fee is charged for credit cards top-ups.
- Intuitive UX.
- Speedy checkout.
- Easy to learn.
6. Cash App
The Square Cash, or simply the Cash App, is a feature-rich and loaded app with a simple design. It allows all the usual money transfers and will enable you to invest and make profits in trading Bitcoins. As the name suggests, it is truly a replacement for hard cash. No charges are levied for transferring funds from the Cash app to your bank account, as it works like a debit card.
Features
- Easy-to-use UI.
- 1005 secured payments.
- Trade-in Cryptocurrency.
- Invest in stocks and other asset classes.
- Available only in the US.
7. Zelle
Working or living in the US, Zelle is the must-have app for all users. It is an app made for a consortium of US and Europe-based banks. Therefore, it allows accessing your bank account in one of the consortium banks super easy. All receipts are automatically credited to the linked bank account.
Features
- Instantaneous fund transfer among partner bank networks
- P2P transactions in real-time in partner banks.
- Enhances customer engagement.
- Easy-to0use interface
- Sender and recipient banks must be partners.
- Cannot be used for offline and online shopping.
- Does not support international payments.
8. AliPay
Once AliPay was considered an innovation and thought leader in the world of eWallet payments. It has more than 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) users worldwide because of its secure, fast, and easy payments solution. With AliPay, you get best-in-class security, 90-day payment protection, and 100% reimbursement against unauthorized transactions.
Features
- Advanced encryption techniques.
- Robust risk management framework.
- Real-time monitoring of transactions, risks, and investment opportunities.
- Dedicated support team.
9. Samsung Pay
Developed by Samsung, a world leader in hardware manufacturing, Samsung Pay is one of the best apps to do online or in-app shopping. It can be easily linked to your credit card and to make payments at the PoS machine. Because of it, it cannot be used socially for P2P expenses.
Features
- The ready user base of Samsung phone users.
- Great rewards program.
- Choose vouchers from the redemption catalog
- Three levels of security – Iris scanner, digital tokenization, and Samsung KNOX
- Make payments through using Show Code, Scan Code, and Send Money Options
10. PayTM
Although the major user-base of PayTM is India, its global backers allow it the ready market in international jurisdictions. It is now available in Canada and Japan, apart from India. It is one of India’s most trusted and widely used payments apps with over 450 million users. It offers a wallet, an eCommerce platform, booking tickets, paying tuition fees, and banking services. It has recently launched investment brokerage and advisory operations.
Features
- Pay bills and recharge.
- Set up alerts, reminders, and auto wallet top-up.
- Used to book flights and hotels.
- Offers premium services like PayTM Bank account for easy money withdrawal.
- Offer co-branded Credit cards.
Conclusion
To conclude, you must understand that mobile wallets are here to stay and will grow stronger with each passing day. Cashless payments are the only criteria that will continue with us even after 50 years. The best features from all the awe-inspiring apps can help us avoid pitfalls.
These apps, for the first time, allow formal channels of payments for the unbanked masses. They offer formal services to the groups and bring them into the fold of the formal economy.
If you are looking for an e-wallet app developer to launch in a new market or with uniquely innovative features, we can help you. Our team of expert analysts, programmers, and designers has delivered multiple phone wallets for many clients.
The challenges are unique, and the failure rate in e-wallet app development is exceedingly high. Therefore, you choose your app development partner with utmost seriousness. Feel free to call our consultants to know more about the e-wallet app development process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There are certain things to consider when choosing the safest digital wallet. The app often provides enhanced security through information encryption. The app that does not store the card number asks for consent from the user for every detail to be stored in the app. You can consider apps such as Google Pay, PayPal, and many more.
The best digital wallet decision comes down to your needs, location, and what type of smartphone you are using for Android users; Google Pay is one of the best options. On the other hand, Apple Pay for iPhone users, and some also prefer PayPal as it is internationally accepted.
There are multiple advantages of online pay over traditional card and cash payment. However, it comes with certain risks like technical issues, hidden fees, security and fraud, and also limited acceptance.