Most brands treat gift cards as a fixed outcome. Once issued, they’re often forgotten, stored in inboxes, lost in texts, or left unclaimed. But every unused gift card is a missed opportunity.

Google Wallet discovery changes that.

Millions of Android users now open the Google Wallet app to search for gift cards. They’re doing it from the same place they already use to tap to pay, check loyalty cards, and manage everyday purchases.

This moment of intent happens inside the wallet.

With Badge, brands can make their gift cards discoverable in this high-visibility flow. Users search, claim, and install a mobile gift card directly into their phone wallet with no app and no extra steps.

In this guide, we’ll walk through:

• What Google Wallet gift card discovery is and how it works

• A step-by-step look at the user flow: search, form, install

• How Badge makes it easy to implement this feature

• Why discovery boosts gift card redemption, engagement, and visibility

Let’s break down how to turn Wallet searches into branded moments.

What Is Google Wallet Gift Card Discovery?

Google Wallet gift card discovery is a built-in feature on Android devices that allows users to search for and install digital gift cards directly inside the Google Wallet app. Instead of relying on email links or SMS messages, users can open the app, type in a brand name, and instantly view eligible mobile gift cards available to claim.

It’s a fully native experience, no third-party redirects, no separate app, and no friction.

Once a user selects your brand, they’re shown a secure, pre-filled form. After entering basic details (like a gift card number or PIN), the gift card is installed instantly into their phone wallet, where it’s ready to redeem, use, or track.

This is a major shift in how eGift cards are discovered and used:

• No more buried emails: cards are found where users already manage mobile payments, loyalty cards, and passes

• Faster installs: from Wallet search to card install in seconds

• Ongoing engagement: cards can receive updates, balance changes, and push notifications right on the lock screen

For brands, this creates an opportunity to capture attention at the exact moment of intent, when someone is actively searching for your gift card in their mobile wallet. And with Badge, you can plug into this discovery experience with zero app development, no custom infrastructure, and a smooth path from install to activation.

The Badge 3-Step User Flow: Search, Form, Install

Here’s how the Google Wallet gift card discovery experience works. And how Badge makes the entire process seamless, from search to redemption.

Step 1: Search for a Digital Gift Card

The customer opens the Google Wallet app on their Android device and goes to the gift card section. Just like with loyalty cards or transit passes, they can type in a brand name and search for stores that offer gift cards.

With Badge: The mobile wallet solutions platform ensures your digital gift card is eligible to appear in Google Wallet search results, making it visible at the exact moment of user intent. This puts your brand front and center, right when someone is actively looking to redeem or install a card.

Step 2: Complete a Claim Form

Once the user selects your brand, they’re directed to a pre-configured form. Here, they can enter required credentials (like a PIN, claim code, or gift card number) to retrieve their mobile gift card.

With Badge: Use a hosted form or connect via the userPassUpsert API. Once submitted, Badge generates a unique Pass Download Link for each user. This link installs the gift card directly into the Google Wallet app.

Step 3: Install the Gift Card

After completing the form, the user taps the link and installs the gift card instantly. It’s added to their phone wallet, ready to use in-store or online, with no extra steps.

With Badge: The card can show live data like balances, expiration, or loyalty perks. It can also trigger geolocation-based lock screen visibility, so your card appears when and where it matters most. Everything runs through your dynamic pass template, powered by Badge.

Why Google Wallet Gift Card Discovery is Essential for Mobile Gift Cards

Digital gift cards are only as powerful as they are accessible. Yet many brands still rely on outdated delivery methods: emails that get lost, SMS links that expire, or third-party redirects that break the flow. With Google Wallet discovery, you eliminate those friction points and meet customers where they already manage payments and loyalty.

Here’s why this native search-and-install flow is a game-changer for B2C mobile gifting:

1. Solves the Visibility Problem

When your gift card is discoverable inside the Google Wallet app, it appears where high-intent users are already browsing, right next to their loyalty cards, payment methods, and tap to pay preferences. That’s premium visibility at the exact moment a user is actively searching for your brand.

You’re not waiting to be found in an inbox. You’re already in their phone wallet.

2. Aligns with Mobile-First Behavior

Today’s users live on mobile. They shop, pay, earn points, and send gifts, all from their phones. With the rise of mobile payment apps, digital wallets, and tap to pay Android adoption, the expectation is clear: gift cards should live in the same streamlined ecosystem.

Google Wallet gift card discovery delivers that experience:

• No extra app to download

• No login or password reset

• No need to dig through emails

Just tap, search, and install.

3. Boosts Redemption and Repeat Use

A mobile gift card that lives in Wallet is more than a stored value, it’s a living, visible engagement channel. Real-time balance updates. Geolocation-triggered lock screen prompts. Timely push notifications.

With Badge, you can connect those signals to deeper experiences, like loyalty rewards, upsell offers, or balance top-ups. That keeps your brand not just remembered, but re-engaged.

You’re no longer just delivering a digital card. You’re unlocking an ongoing, high-conversion moment inside the mobile wallet.

Unlock Better Gift Card Engagement with Google Wallet and Badge

In a mobile-first world, relying on email links and static SMS messages is no longer enough. Consumers expect their digital gift cards to work like the rest of their mobile payments—fast, seamless, and instantly accessible.

By enabling your mobile gift cards to appear directly in the Google Wallet app, you meet users where they are already tapping to pay, checking loyalty points, and managing everyday spending.

That is what Pine Labs achieved with Badge. By rolling out Google Wallet gift cards across 70,000 merchant locations, they gave users a faster way to access and redeem offers directly from their phones. The result was higher visibility, stronger conversion, and a branded wallet experience at scale.

With Badge, you don’t need to build this from scratch. We handle:

• Eligibility for Google Wallet discovery

• Hosted or integrated claim forms

• API-driven pass issuance with real-time updates

• Wallet-based notifications, balance tracking, and geolocation triggers

No app development. No manual processes. Just better performance from the moment a customer searches your name in their phone wallet.

Want to boost visibility and engagement for your gift cards? 👉Talk to us about enabling Wallet discovery with Badge.

Badge Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do users find gift cards in the Google Wallet app?

Users on Android can open the Google Wallet app, navigate to the gift card section, and search by brand name. If your business is enabled for discovery, your mobile gift card will appear with a form to claim and install it.

What is a Pass Download Link, and how does it work?

A Pass Download Link is a unique URL that installs a digital gift card directly into a user's Google Wallet. After a user completes a claim form, Badge generates this link automatically, enabling one-tap installs without manual handling.

Is Google Wallet gift card discovery available for iOS users?

No, discovery is currently limited to Android via the Google Wallet app. For iOS, you can still deliver Apple Wallet gift cards using direct links or QR codes. Badge supports both formats for a consistent cross-platform experience.

How does Wallet discovery improve gift card redemption?

Discovery happens inside the Wallet itself, where users already manage mobile payments and loyalty cards. Because they’re actively searching, engagement is higher, leading to better install rates, stronger redemption, and more frequent reuse.

Can I update a gift card after it’s installed?

Yes. With Badge, your eGift cards are fully dynamic. You can update balances, reward tiers, expiration dates, or custom metadata in real time, even after the card has been added to a user's wallet.