Can I use my digital wallet for online purchases?

Yes, you can use a digital wallet online. Digital wallets can provide a convenient way to pay both in stores and online.

Of course, with so many types of digital wallet technology available, it might be confusing to know which apps to use and when. Read on to learn more about different types of digital wallets, how they work and how to use them for online purchases.

What you’ll learn:

• You can use a digital wallet to store your various methods of payment and make purchases without having your actual card in hand.

• When you make a payment with a digital wallet, your real card number is replaced with a unique token to protect your information.

• Many digital wallets work in tandem with their respective payment services—for instance, paying with Google Pay™ online involves using your payment information saved in Google Wallet™.

• To make an online purchase with a digital wallet, look for your preferred payment service when checking out.

A digital wallet is a software or application that you can access from a computer or mobile device. It allows you to store payment information securely and use it to make purchases online or in person—without the need for physical cards.

There are many different kinds of digital wallets, and they may vary in the services they provide and how you might use them. 

A few examples of popular digital wallets are:

• Google Wallet

• Apple Wallet®

• Samsung Wallet®

• Paze^SM

• PayPal®

• Zelle®

• Venmo

First it’s important to understand the difference between a mobile wallet and a digital wallet. Mobile wallets are a type of digital wallet designed for use on mobile devices to make in-person payments. Many digital wallets have mobile wallet apps, which you use to tap your phone to pay in stores. Google Wallet, Apple Wallet and Samsung Wallet are the most common, as these come preinstalled on smartphones.

Take Google Wallet, for instance. Google’s payment service—Google Pay—is built right in. In stores, the Google Wallet app lets you tap your phone to pay wherever Google Pay is accepted. When shopping online, Google Pay accesses payment methods you’ve saved to your Google account (your Google Wallet) to process your purchases.

In other words, Google Wallet is what stores your payment information, while Google Pay is the payment service used to complete transactions, whether in person or online.

Digital wallets use encryption and tokenization to protect your actual card numbers. This means that when you use your digital wallet to make a payment with one of your stored cards, the merchant is given a token—a randomly generated number—instead of your actual card number.

On top of that, payments you make with a digital wallet will typically require authentication to complete the transaction. Some digital wallets may use two-factor authentication. This could include the use of codes or PINs, or biometric authentication such as fingerprints or facial recognition.

Before making payments online with a digital wallet, you’ll need to set it up first. 

If you haven’t added your credit card details or other payment information to your digital wallet yet, you’ll need to do so to make purchases. The specific steps may vary depending on your device and the digital wallet you use. But generally, you just need to follow these steps:

1. Locate or install the digital wallet app you want to use on your mobile device.

2. Open the app and follow the provided instructions to add your payment information.

For Capital One cardholders, some digital wallets can be set up directly in the Capital One Mobile app.

To make a purchase with your digital wallet online, proceed to checkout. If the retailer accepts digital wallet payments, you’ll see a logo or button when choosing your payment method. Simply select your preferred payment method. You may be asked to authenticate the transaction.

Digital wallets provide a convenient solution for storing payment information and making purchases in stores and online. Plus, they can help make payment more secure by concealing your physical card information.

Learn more about digital payment options for Capital One cardholders.