I've only started using Google Wallet recently, because I'm waiting for a replacement physical card and it allows me to use the associated virtual card on my phone. It sure is convenient, but I've thinking recently about how protected I am in Worst Case Scenarios, which got me thinking about this possibility - or to turn it around, if my gig was ripping-off travelers, wouldn't grabbing a phone out of someone's hand while they're using it (e.g. noodling around on Maps), keeping it unlocked, and then racking up a few not-too-suspicious purchases seem like a decent strategy? I do have a timed lock screen, but I'm guessing that if this was my gig, I'd know to disable that first (or maybe Google Wallet is built to only function following a recent authentication/ unlock?).

If you realized your wallet had been stolen (and not your phone), you'd just open your banking apps and freeze the physical cards in your wallet - if your unlocked phone got stolen though, would you panic all the way home until you could lock it remotely, and if so, wouldn't it be better sticking with physical cards/ does the potential risk of using Google Wallet outweigh the gain of convenience?

(I'm sure there's a bunch of security features baked into Google Wallet to cater to this case, but not knowing what they are means that - at present - I think I *would* panic all the way home, and if physical cards remove that possibility, then that would make them my preferred payment method).

*There's a short, recent thread about the lack of unlock feature here, and few suggestions that there might be changes in Android 15 (later this year). Still, I'd be interested to know folks' thoughts for the app as it is now).

I use Google wallet every since losing my phone with my credit cards a couple of months back on vacation. Yesterday I wondered if I could pay with my phone without opening the google wallet app, and so I did, and it worked.

Which makes me think, what stops people from getting an NFC reader/writer, and to charge my google wallet while my phone is in my pocket? or just while not looking?

Is there some security measure I could set up, like a password or biometrics?
Or is my only option to have NFC turned off in my phone until I want to use it and turn it back off after I'm finished?