iOS 26 lets iPhone users store physical card details in Wallet App

With the release of iOS 26, Apple’s Wallet app introduces a powerful new feature that allows users to store physical card information alongside their digital payment cards, enhancing convenience and accessibility. iOS 26’s update to Wallet leverages Apple Intelligence to streamline everyday interactions, making it easier to manage and access critical card details directly from your iPhone or Apple Watch.
Users can now securely store details such as account numbers, expiration dates, and other essential information for their physical credit, debit, or other eligible cards within the Wallet app, eliminating the need to carry physical cards for quick reference. This feature builds on Wallet’s existing capabilities, which already include secure storage of credit and debit cards, driver’s licenses, state IDs, transit cards, event tickets, and keys. By integrating physical card information, users can view these details with a simple tap, protected by the security of Face ID or Touch ID, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive information. Adding a card is straightforward: users open the Wallet app, tap the add button, and follow onscreen instructions to input or scan card details, which are then encrypted and stored securely via iCloud. This aligns with Apple’s privacy-first approach ensuring that card data remains protected both on-device and during transmission.
The iOS 26 update also enhances Wallet with features like order tracking integration, where Apple Intelligence automatically pulls order details from emails to display merchant names, tracking numbers, and shipping information within Wallet. Additionally, the refreshed boarding pass experience and the ability to pay with rewards or installments in-store further complement this update, making Wallet a more comprehensive hub for managing financial and travel-related tasks. This new physical card storage feature, combined with these enhancements, positions Wallet as a versatile tool for users to “take less with you but always bring more,” as Apple describes it on its website, offering a seamless and secure way to access critical information on the go.
Tim Hardwick for MacRumors:
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It’s a simple addition in iOS 26, but it brings the Wallet app closer to being a comprehensive card management tool, filling the gap that third-party apps like 1Password typically fill. With the full card information to hand, you can check your card’s expiry date for a subscription service or provide account details over the phone, without needing to dig through your physical wallet or memorize card numbers. It also means you don’t have to delve into settings to find Safari’s Autofill fields.
Apple encrypts and stores this information in your iCloud Keychain, keeping it secure and accessible only to you. The details are not used for Apple Pay transactions.

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MacDailyNews Note: More info and instructions on how to add and view physical card information to the Wallet app in iOS 26 here.

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