Those of you who have been hanging around for a while know of my obsession with digital wallets and reducing my everyday carry to just my iPhone. There’s been a lot of progress since I first wrote about it. Almost every place that accepts credit cards now also accepts Apple Pay and its Android equivalent. The only notable holdout is Walmart and as I wrote previously, I’ve substituted Amazon for Walmart so I no longer care.
The state of Florida is promising to roll out digital licenses sometime this year and when that happens I will no longer have a need to carry a wallet. That leaves keys. Smartphone mediated electronic door locks have long been available so that part was easy. All that’s left is car keys.
Uptake of keyless vehicle entry and startup among automobile manufacturers has been slow—it sometimes feels like we’d still be starting our cars by cranking a handle on the front if it was up to them—but there has been movement: more manufacturers are starting to offer keyless options. Meanwhile, Apple has stepped up and is implementing enhancements to Apple wallet to hold both digital IDs, such as licenses, and digital keys for cars and houses. There’s more at the link so take a look if you’re interested in the digital lifestyle.
The ability to carry all your documents and keys on your smartphone and to go truly walletless is upon us. If you’ve got a car such as the Tesla, the era of going walletless is already here. As soon as the rest of the car manufacturers get on board, it will be here for everyone.