“I love my scanners,” said the vendor at Arts Fest in Harrisburg’s Riverfront Park Saturday morning. “So easy.”

Without pulling a credit card or cash out of my wallet, in about 10 seconds I’d paid for a unique candle in a concrete bowl which will double as a planter once I burn down the candle.

I asked him if the number of scanners and card swipers were pretty balanced? Maybe close to 50 / 50?

“Not even close,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Probably more 25 / 75. People just don’t use it.”

That aligns with what I see. From gas pumps to the grocery store, most people don’t use technology installed by default on the computers in their pockets.

Don’t fret, faithful reader. If you haven’t set up an Apple or Google Wallet, you’ll be ready to join the Cool Kids Club today after you read this post.

I share key reasons why to set up a mobile wallet, compelling statistics supporting wallet use, explain why a mobile wallet is a safer way to pay, and show you how to get it done in less than a minute. In fact, it will take you longer to read this post than to set up a mobile wallet, so let’s dive in.

Why Set Up A Mobile Wallet

While not every technology has to be adopted, setting up a mobile wallet provides tangible benefits.

Paying with a mobile wallet cuts the average checkout time by 30% to 40%. It gets you on your way faster than cash or chip scans because pulling your phone out of your pocket is faster than fishing for a credit or debit card to scan or swipe.

Also, contactless payments are available almost everywhere. Accelerated by the pandemic, their use by U.S. merchants increased from 40% in 2018 to 85% in 2023.

A mobile wallet transaction is faster, easier, and safer.

Don’t Worry. Tap Happy.

While Apple and Google both allow users to complete a purchase with a payment card stored on a smartphone, they handle the transactions slightly differently.

Apple uses state-of-the-art encryption to make its system work. Plus the folks in Cupertino never store or view a user’s transaction details so what happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone.

Although Google also encrypts payment information much as Apple does, it does retain a record of your transactions you can download, review, or use to resolve payment issues. The user keys in nothing and authenticates with a fingerprint or face scan.

This is far better than scanning a payment card which holds personal information- account number, expiration date, etc. – readable by a resourceful bad actor with a card scanner. If a person swipes a phone secured by standard methods, they wind up with a silicon brick.

Of course, anything is better than swiping your card through a sketchy card reader. Although card skimming offenses declined in 2024, I live in Pennsylvania; one of the top 10 states where skimming is rife.

Having been the victim of a card skimmer myself years ago at a gas station off I-83 South, and with the activity recently discovered at area Walmarts a few months ago, there’s no reason not to set up your mobile wallet today.

Get It Done

Both Google and Apple provide simple instructions for how to add cards to their respective wallets. The step-by-step guides boil down to opening the wallet app on a device, tapping an “add” button, and following the prompts.

Apple’s system is simple. It allows you to initiate the process, then hold the card near the phone you’re using to enter all pertinent details. You can also take a photo with the device.

The process takes one minute and that’s likely an overestimation. I timed myself manually keying in card details instead of using the faster methods to get an idea of the longest it could take you to add a card.

Protect yourself today, and you’ll be the one speeding through the checkout tomorrow after a secure and swift mobile wallet purchase.