Digital wallets or e-wallets are electronic wallets that helps in making payments online. The transactions done by digital wallets are quick and secured. It’s a password protected wallet that has your bank accounts details, which then makes it easier to make future payments because then you don’t have to enter your information every time you make a payment. With the help of digital wallet, you can book tickets, hotels, make online purchases and many more.
A digital wallet refers to any electronic device or online service that permits an individual to carry out electronic transactions. You can make payments by linking your bank account with that particular platform that lets you carry out transactions. It can be done online with the help of a computer or a smartphone. Mobile wallets are a sub category of digital wallets, however, digital or mobile together is referred to as e-wallet.
HOW DOES A DIGITAL WALLET WORK?
Digital wallet works with the encryption software that replaces the usual calculative monetary transactions. It is time-saving and safer mode of a transaction as there is no risk of theft. It is not only beneficial for the customer but also for the merchant as he/she doesn’t have to manage so much cash at the counter, free from any fraud and also transactions happen faster and more in number.
One of the most popular technologies that are often talked about whenever we mention digital wallets is NFC that means near field communication. To understand it simply, its working is as follows. Whenever you chose to pay through a digital wallet, it automatically picks up the nearest point of sales in the range of NFC, you can simply tap, enter PIN and make the payments. This technology is observed in most of the smartphones.
TYPES OF DIGITAL WALLETS
The digital wallets have been broadly divided into two categories. Some of the wallets work with selected vendors both offline and online and the other type of wallets work anywhere at any vendor.
Client side: These wallets are the wallets maintained and operated by the user itself. You install a program, fill in all the essential details and that information is stored. When we try to use it at a compatible website, the wallet prefills the essential information making user’s life and the entire process easy. Your check out process becomes easy if you visit your wallet supported website. You just enter a few details to carry out the process. You can choose the card from which you want to carry out the transactions.
Server side: In this wallet type, all the information you provided is stored by the company’s secure computers. In this type of wallet, the company that is compatible with your digital wallet maintains the e-wallet account of the user. You do not even have a card that you fear to lose, therefore, this wallet minimises the risk of fraud.
Merchants prefer server side wallets as they are standard whereas the client side wallet varies for different developers, therefore, causing problem in usage.
MERITS OF DIGITAL WALLETS
- Helps you make cashless transactions
- Makes transaction manageable and easy to record
- Offers rewards, gifts and benefits
- Do multiple things at a single platform
- Fast and time saving
DEMERITS OF DIGITAL WALLETS
When something gains popularity, there are some points that hold it back from completely hitting the market like the usual trends when a majority of the people favour or support a thing there are few people thinking on the other lines what are the other things associated to it. What raises a question against digital wallets is the concern over privacy and safety. There is a great risk of getting your wallet hacked or using it under a wrong identity. Since the digital wallet operations are complex, it has complex concerns. While using these platforms or even while using the e-wallets on your smartphones there are multiple interfaces that the data travels through to reach the final screen. Digital wallets are comparatively riskier than mobile wallets as they rely on digital certificates.
LIST OF SOME OF THE DIGITAL WALLETS IN INDIA
| Paytm | MobiKwik | Oxygen Wallet |
|---|---|---|
| Citrus Wallet | Freecharge | Airtel Money |
| Jio Money | ICICI Pockets | Vodafone M Pesa |
USES OF DIGITAL WALLET WALLETS
- Recharge phone
- Pay the bill for utility services, phone, electricity, water, gas, internet, landline, etc.
- Pay insurance premium
- School or college fees
- Book flight, bus or train tickets
- Book movie tickets, hotel rooms
- Transfer money to a bank account, e-wallet
- Transfer money to a bank account, e-wallet
- Pay for your purchases
Digital wallets are trending the market as people find themselves safe and easy to be cashless. With various applications offering cashbacks and rewards, an individual prefers to use or make payments through such medium to get the benefits with less of efforts. However, you cannot claim digital wallets to be hundred per cent safe. With the rise in trend, there must be several working on the jailbreaks of such so-called safety keys. Therefore, do not completely rely on these wallets and make a conscious and a smart move to avoid falling into a trap.