Following the introduction of a digital wallet service in Malta by Google a few weeks ago, Bank of Valletta is now supported by Google Wallet.

This means that BOV cardholders can now enrol their Visa credit and debit cards on the Google Wallet app which can be downloaded from the Google Playstore on the cardholder’s Android device.

BOV customers who have an NFC-enabled Android device will now be able to affect contactless card payments at any point of sale in retail outlets, as well as online payments at online merchants who also support Google Wallet.

Once a BOV Visa debit or credit card is enrolled to a digital wallet such as Google Wallet, a token (a virtual card number) replaces the user’s actual card number when stored in the digital wallet. This is a security feature which ensures that the user’s card number is protected at all times and is never communicated throughout the payment process.

Effecting payments by means of a digital wallet using a smart device is the way forward, considered simple, secure and fast. Furthermore, it gives the user convenience to roam around cashless without the need of a physical wallet.

Using a digital wallet also eliminates the need to remember different PIN numbers attached to different cards, as authentication is done simply by unlocking the device through biometric authentication and placing the device within close proximity to the point of sale.