Microsoft Wallet

Microsoft calls it “the most complete wallet experience”, an answer to Apple Passbook and the Google Wallet solution.

It stores your credit card information, loyalty cards, library cards, coupons, everything you need to connect to all your payment solutions. It even integrates with Nokia Maps and suggests discounts available at nearby stores with info on how to redeem your discount (eg QR code).

At the introduction, Joe Belfiore of Microsoft’s Windows Phone team explained how it differs from other services such as Google Wallet: it uses  a secure payment embedded into the phone’s SIM cards, rather than the phone itself.  This means that you can easily swap your wallet from once device to another by simply moving your SIM card.  The drawback is that your carrier will have to offer this secure solution through it’s SIM services.

THE MOST COMPLETE WALLET EXPERIENCE.

Microsoft’s goal is quite clear: instead of having various applications for different payment methods and loyalty cards, everything should be integrated into a single wallet hub and at the same time offer live updates on your accounts and access to nearby deals. It’s a ambitious goal and competition is fierce: we’ll have to see how and if Microsoft can pull it off.