The smartphone has become the natural extension of our daily lives. We pay, access, identify ourselves, and build loyalty — all through a single object that fits in our pocket. At the heart of this silent revolution, the mobile wallet is emerging as one of the most strategic channels for brands seeking to reach their customers at the right time, in the right place, without friction.
Davy Dauvergne, CEO of The Wallet Crew, shares his perspective on the major wallet trends shaping 2026 and explains why this technology is now far more than just a digital card stored on a phone.
A few figures to set the scene:
- 5.2 billion wallet users worldwide by 2026
- 47% of French consumers influenced by wallet push notifications
- 70% of people under 34 who prefer wallets over dedicated apps
- 75% of retailers now consider wallets a strategic channel
These figures are far from anecdotal. They reflect a structural shift in the way consumers interact with brands, and in how companies must rethink their communication channels.
The boundaries between retail and events are disappearing
This is the central observation Davy highlights in the video. The lines between industries are fading: “Retail is becoming experiential, and events are becoming retail.” That sentence perfectly summarizes the transformation underway.
A store now organizes workshops, private sales, and exclusive experiences for loyal customers. A concert venue sells merchandise, promotes partner offers, and manages membership programs. Venues are no longer single-purpose spaces; they have become ecosystems of experiences.
The wallet is the only channel capable of handling this complexity without creating friction for the user. A single pass can update loyalty points in real time after a purchase, trigger a geolocated notification when entering a store, and propose a personalized offer the next day, all without the user downloading an additional app.
It is precisely to address this need that The Wallet Crew designed a white-label platform adaptable to every sector and use case: Karl Lagerfeld, Haribo, L’Occitane (across 90 countries), the Philharmonie de Paris, and Radio France are among the brands already using it.
The major shifts accelerating wallet adoption
This trajectory will be amplified by several technological and regulatory trends currently converging. Here are the forces that will transform mobile wallets in the years ahead.
European digital identity is changing the game
All European Union member states will soon be required to offer citizens a digital identity wallet: the EUDI Wallet. The European Commission’s objective is ambitious: 80% adoption among European citizens by 2030.
This wallet will not simply replace the national ID card. It will serve as a universal container for driver’s licenses, diplomas, healthcare data, and banking credentials. More than 350 companies and public organizations across 26 member states are already testing these use cases.
Artificial intelligence is making wallet predictive
Today, wallet push notifications are triggered according to relatively simple rules. Tomorrow, AI will enable real-time analysis of purchase history, location, time of day, and user behavior to deliver the right message at the right moment, even before the customer feels the need themselves.
Global adoption is accelerating everywhere
Asia-Pacific currently dominates the mobile payment market with 46% of the global market share. In China, 87% of smartphone users already make proximity payments via wallet technology. In Latin America, adoption is growing by 50% annually. In Africa, M-Pesa has reached 50 million active users.
These regions did not follow the traditional path of banking adoption; they skipped directly to mobile. For international brands, this creates access to markets that would otherwise have been difficult to reach.
Wallet as an experience trigger
The role of the wallet has profoundly evolved. Owning a pass in your wallet no longer simply means holding a card, ticket, or coupon. It means unlocking something more. A single pass becomes the starting point for a chain of connected experiences, activated at the right moment and in the right context. This is where wallets create value that no other channel can replicate.
Events & Culture
You have a ticket for a live performance stored in your wallet. That same pass grants access to partner parking with a discount reserved for ticket holders and triggers a food and beverage offer before the show begins. Three distinct experiences. One single entry point. The ticket no longer just opens a door, it opens a journey.
Retail & Fashion
Your loyalty card no longer simply accumulates points at checkout. It reserves invitations to private in-store events or offers a complimentary coffee during your next visit. It becomes a symbol of recognition and a relationship channel between the brand and its best customers, not just a transaction counter. L’Occitane is pushing this concept even further in Asia: its loyalty card provides access to in-store recycling stations, transforming a purchase into an environmental commitment.
Sports & Partnerships
Your gym membership is directly connected to your wallet through a discount offered by Adidas, the brand’s official partner. The offer is activated directly inside the member’s pass: no email campaign, no cookies, no intermediary. Value is created simultaneously for the gym, the sponsor, and the customer. In one seamless interaction, the wallet becomes the bridge connecting ecosystems that previously operated independently.
One pass, multiple experiences
This is what differentiates wallets from every other marketing channel. An email delivers a message. An SMS delivers information. A wallet creates a contextualized relationship, activated in the right place and at the right moment, without friction and without requiring any effort from the customer.
