The news: Google Chrome will now autofill users’ loyalty card numbers, travel details, and vehicle information housed in Google Wallet, per a company blog post.

Why this matters: Google’s autofill updates reduce friction for shoppers, eliminating the need to rifle around for loyalty cards in a wallet during checkout or check their car license plate while using a mobile parking app. Many consumers stand to reap these benefits: Google Chrome commands 72.3% of all web browser traffic, dwarfing Safari’s 13.3%, per StatCounter. 

Notably, Apple’s Safari and Wallet don’t have this feature, setting Google ahead of the pack. 

Google Wallet’s win: Streamlining consumers’ online checkout and travel entries could net Google significant volume from its 52.2 million Google Wallet users, per our forecast. As younger consumers expect fast, seamless experiences, Google Wallet could earn more loyalty from these shoppers as they gift shop and book holiday travel.

Our take: Maximizing its utility as a shopping interface is critical as Google Chrome’s browser dominance risks getting eroded by AI tools and browsers like Perplexity’s Comet. 

If volumes divert to new sources, like the PayPal-linked Comet, Google shoppers could maintain their loyalty in the browser by convenience the tools offer them during their checkout experiences.