This feature is available for transport passes and contactless transactions for transportation.
Important: This feature requires Wear OS 5 or later. If you have a Pixel Watch, this feature requires Wear OS 5.1 or later. Learn how to check the Wear OS version on your smartwatch.
Pay contactless for public transport without opening Wallet
To pay contactless for transportation through your default credit or debit card without opening Wallet on your smartwatch, you must turn on this setting.
Important: If you haven't unlocked your watch in the last 24 hours, you may be prompted to unlock it even when this setting is turned on.
Through the Google Wallet app on your smartwatch
- On your smartwatch, open the Google Wallet app.
- Tap Manage Wallet.
- Check your paired phone.
- On your phone, tap your profile picture or account
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- Tap Wallet settings
Travel without opening Wallet.
- Turn on Tap to travel without opening Wallet.
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Travel without opening Wallet.Through the Pixel Watch app (for Pixel Watch only)
- On your paired Android phone, open the Google Pixel Watch app.
- Tap Google
- Tap your account
- Turn on Tap to travel without opening Wallet.
If you can't find this setting for your watch, it means that your watch doesn't meet the minimum supported Wear OS version.
Use your transport pass without opening Wallet
When using a transport pass, you don't need to open Wallet on your smartwatch. This functionality is on by default and you don't need to adjust any settings.
- When you get to the public transport entrance, hold your smartwatch to the card reader.
- You don't need to open the Wallet app on your smartwatch.
- If you haven't unlocked your watch in the last 24 hours, you'll be prompted to unlock it before you use the transport pass.
- Wait for the travel card reader to respond.
- For some public transport systems, you have to show your pass to an attendant.
Tip: Clipper (San Francisco Bay Area) transport passes aren't supported. You'll still need to open the Wallet app before you hold it to the card reader.
Change the default credit or debit card used for pay contactless
Change the default card for all transactions on your smartwatch
Important: Changing the default card for your smartwatch will not affect the default card used for Google Wallet on your phone when using pay contactless.
Your default credit or debit card is used for this feature when you use pay contactless on your smartwatch for contactless payments, including public transport.
To change the default card on your smartwatch, learn how to change your default card on Google Wallet.
Change a card for a single transaction on your smartwatch
You can manually select a card different to your default card when you use pay contactless on your smartwatch for a single transaction.
Your default payment card will be used for any future transactions on your smartwatch unless you manually select a different card before you pay contactless. To change a card for a single transaction, learn how to pay with a non-default card on your smartwatch.
Tip: Some public transport systems require you to tap the travel card reader upon entry and exit. If you use a non-default card, make sure that you use the same card for both taps.