Use only your phone wallet - has anybody come close.

[Chuckanut]

Has anybody been able to ditch all or almost all of the stuff they carry in a physical wallet and use the wallet app on their phone exclusively?

I ask because on a recent trip I went to check in at a hotel and they insisted I produce the hotel chain’s physical credit card. They would not accept the card information in the Apple Wallet app even though I had initially made the reservation using that card to confirm payment. And, of course I still had to pull out a government issued ID card of some type.

I don’t object to proving I am whom I say I am. But, it would be nice not have to carry all this stuff around if I already have the information stored on my phone.

 

[audreyh1]

No, too many places don’t support ApplePay.

 

[tulak]

Kinda. When covid happened, I got rid of the wallet and carried only a driver’s license and credit card. I’ve kept up that habit, only carrying the license and two credit cards. I use Apple Pay for 90%+ transactions.

This doesn’t work if you need to travel with specific credit cards. But when I travel, I add a debit card to the cards I carry and bring along backup debit/credit cards in my backpack/luggage.

 

[Sue J]

I had to use my credit card today at the gas station. There was a contactless “tap” symbol on the pump but my phone didn’t work on the reader and neither did the credit card. So I had to insert the card.

Another time was at Lowes. They don’t take Apple Pay and do not have the terminals for contactless.

I’ve had my smartphone for almost a year and a half and I use Apple Pay everywhere that I can.

 

[Montecfo]

During covid I reduced to a money clip. I used to have the full George Costanza type wallet. I find I seldom need more than my ID, insurance and a credit card and backup.

I do have Google pay on my phone but use that as backup. I would never aspire to get down to just the phone. Single point of failure for everything if you did.

All my specialty type cards like frequent fliers I have the numbers stored.

 

[COcheesehead]

Close. Our state now also accepts digital ID, so with that app, my drivers license, insurance card and the Apple wallet are all digital. The only thing I really need to carry is my health insurance card.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Sorta. I use one of these, for a couple of credit cards and DL. Haven't carried cash for a long time.

 

[camfused]

@Chuckanut, you should vote with your wallet (pun intended) and tell that hotel that you are not going to do business with them anymore, due to their backwards thinking.

There is a restaurant near me that takes contactless payments, but then makes you sign the receipt. We are talking $15 of food. Last time I said no, and I am not coming back.

Contactless is way more secure than the old ways.

I too have trimmed down what I carry these days. I used to have a big old thick wallet, which was hard to sit on, especially for a road trip. Now I have a very thin, minimalist wallet. I wish I could bring even less than the 3 CCs, id, couple of insurance cards, and a $20 bill! It’s been a year or two since I needed any cash, but feel I still need to have a little on me.

 

[Texas Proud]

My daughter has a 'wallet' that is attached to the back of her phone that carries her drivers license and a credit card or two... nothing else...


So for her no wallet but not as free as you were asking about

 

[FIYes]

During Covid I developed the habit of only carrying my phone in a wallet case that had my drivers license, insurance cards, and a couple of credit cards as backup. I used Samsung Pay exclusively.

Now I have a new phone that only supports contactless payments. This means that I can no longer pay with my phone at the grocery store. It is the one thing I dislike about my new phone. Too bad that Samsung no longer supports older credit card technology. It seems that vendors are slow to adopt the contactless pay technology. I often thought how limited Apple Pay was since so many vendors were not set up for contactless. Now, here I am equally limited.

 

[TripleLindy]

It’s probably paranoid thinking, but the only place I store credit card info is Amazon. I just try to limit exposure to financial info. Even so, I’m pretty much a minimalist when it comes to my wallet: 1 credit card, 1 debit card, driver’s license, health insurance card (thinner than credit cards) and auto insurance “card” (just paper). I carry very little cash.

I’ve carried a wallet for close to 50 years and mine is so thin, I can lose it in my back pocket. I’m well accustomed to it, so it’s not something I’m looking to get rid of. If banks and other “card” issuers ever eliminate physical media, I’ll adapt and make the switch then.

 

[gromit]

I've put one credit card on Samsung Pay, but I still carry the card for now.

The one wallet lightening move I've made is to remove all grocery store loyalty cards from my wallet and store them in a sandwich bag in my car console. I just get out the card I need when I park at the grocery. I wouldn't leave a credit card in my parked car, but I don't think grocery loyalty cards appeal to thieves.

 

[CRLLS]

My daughter has a 'wallet' that is attached to the back of her phone that carries her drivers license and a credit card or two... nothing else...


So for her no wallet but not as free as you were asking about

Illinois is exploring the use of digital Driver's License.

This digital age has so much further to go before I'll be comfortable carrying just a phone. They can't even get texting to work consistently across platforms.

 

[TripleLindy]

grocery store loyalty cards

Most of those cards are linked to a phone number. Just enter your phone number at the checkout device and you can eliminate those cards.

 

[kgtest]

5 cards In my money clip:

License
Health Insurance Card
Business Cash back Visa
Delta Platinum AmEx
CostCo Card

I would suggest you keep at minimum your ID and Health Insurance card in case you become incapacitated so the people helping you can be informed on who you are and contact your Dr somehow if need be.

I think I have only used my phone to pay once, maybe twice in my life.

 

[Morgan22]

Sorta. I use one of these, for a couple of credit cards and DL. Haven't carried cash for a long time.

I have one of these on the back of my phone too. I only carry my drivers license and one credit card with my phone now. If I could go all digital I wouldn't hesitate to do so.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

I carry my phone with a case that holds a single card. Usually the one with the best restaurant payback as that's the mostly likely category I'd use impulsively. I have a lot of my cards "in" my phone but rarely use Apple Pay (usually only when a card offers a bonus deal for using Apple Pay). I have a minimalist wallet (band type) with my IDs and other frequently used cards that goes in my pocket when I drive -half the time just stays in the car console. I hate having stuff in my pockets and have keyless entry on my house too so usually only my phone since I walk/bike everywhere I can in the City.

 

[Music Lover]

I haven't used a wallet in at least 30 years. I carry a credit card, driver's license, and some cash in one pocket, my cell phone in another pocket.

 

[Koolau]

Still have a physical wallet full of cards of all kinds. Having a wallet in my phone doesn't really appeal to me, but I see why it would to others.

 

[audreyh1]

Illinois is exploring the use of digital Driver's License.

This digital age has so much further to go before I'll be comfortable carrying just a phone. They can't even get texting to work consistently across platforms.

Phones break, need rebooting, or can run out of charge, so I wouldn’t be comfortable with just a phone. I don’t carry it as my only car key either.

I do use ApplePay whenever I can - with my watch.

 

[Dawg52]

I'm an old school geezer. Although I have Apple pay set up on my Iphone.....I have never used it. Now get off my lawn.

 

[Jerry1]

No. Like many here, I’ve pared down what I carry and I’ve made use of some things by using my Apple wallet but there’s just no way to go fully digital. For one, if pulled over, I need to produce license, registration and insurance. Beyond that, many things don’t use Apple Pay or connect with the phone for payment. Plus, call me old, because I am, but I like to carry cash. I hardly use it anymore, but I always have a few hundred on me. Never know when some cash may be needed. Also, I haven’t gone to the casino since COVID, but I never pull out a debit/credit card in a casino. I’m only willing to lose the cash on hand.

 

[Chuckanut]

During a widespread lengthy power failure physical cash is king. I found that out years ago.

Eventually they will have to figure out how to mesh all of these pay apps. Until then, we seem to have to carry the plastic or have easy access to it.

 

[rk911]

Illinois is exploring the use of digital Driver's License.

This digital age has so much further to go before I'll be comfortable carrying just a phone. They can't even get texting to work consistently across platforms.

yeah, I saw that item. not sure how that's gonna work. i've heard talk about digital license plates. ??

 

[COcheesehead]

yeah, I saw that item. not sure how that's gonna work. i've heard talk about digital license plates. ??

We have digital licenses in Colorado, but you also get a hard copy as well. Plates? Never heard of that.