You have probably heard about mobile payment options by now, whether that’s Apple Pay or Google Pay, but do you use one? 

Instead of carrying all your credit cards or debit cards around with you, they’re simply on your smartphone. If you’re at a store, you can make purchases by holding your phone near a payment device (and if you’re using a fingerprint, you won’t even have to unlock your device). 

Most Android, Apple and Samsung smartphones, as well as an Apple Watch or iPad, have a digital wallet. Android Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay apps make use of their devices with NFC technology (near field communication) to make payments. NFC allows information to pass between your device and a retailer’s compatible payment terminal when they are “near” one another (usually within just a few centimeters). You just hold your device near or tap it at the retailer’s check-out reader to pay. Not every retailer may have NFC technology, but many major ones do.

It is safer than you may think. Paying with a digital wallet means that your card number is completely safe during transactions because that information is not passed on to the seller (it’s not even stored in your phone). Instead a process called tokenization is used to generate a random set of numbers that’s used for each payment. In fact, digital wallets come with heavy encryption methods which make it nearly impossible for anyone to see or use your information. Unlike with physical cards, this information can’t be pick pocketed either.  Should you ever misplace or lose your phone, you can lock your digital wallet remotely. 

It can be faster and easier than paying with cash or swiping a card. With a digital wallet, you can truly zip through a payment. Many new smartphones, including the ones from Apple and Samsung, have fingerprint scanners. Hold your phone near the payment reader while your fingertip is on the power button, and a subtle vibration and beep will confirm that your payment was registered. Many times, that’s it. A record of your transaction is saved in your digital wallet, which you can view by accessing your wallet app.

If you don’t already have a digital wallet app on your smart device, download one from your online app store and follow the simple instructions for how to add your credit or debit card information. Depending on your device search for Google Pay or Apple Pay in your app store. You should be able to start using your digital wallet in just a few minutes.