Samsung joins Apple, Google in expanding passport-based digital IDs in mobile wallets

Samsung and Clear have partnered to deliver Samsung ID with Clear for Samsung Wallet, with smartphone makers leading the charge for digital ID backed by passports to enable more frictionless travel.

The move reflects a broader shift toward smartphone wallets as digital identity platforms. With Apple, Google and now Samsung supporting passport-derived digital credentials, major mobile ecosystems are increasingly becoming distribution channels for government-backed digital identity and travel credentials.

The digital ID is verified by Clear and enables travelers to move more smoothly through TSA checkpoints using just their phones.

Samsung ID with Clear works with U.S. passports for TSA-approved digital ID in the Samsung Wallet – for domestic U.S. travel – as well as select sporting arenas such as BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, according to Samsung Electronics America.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Clear to bring Clear ID to Samsung Wallet, making airport travel and other identity verification experiences easier and frictionless for our users,” says Woncheol Chai, EVP and head of digital wallet at Samsung Electronics.

“Samsung ID with Clear represents the future and remains at the forefront of digital identity. Integrating passports into Samsung Wallet demonstrates our ongoing dedication to creating technology that truly makes life easier for our users. By enabling them to leave their physical IDs in their bag and rely on secure digital identity instead, we’re combining the best of convenience and security to help users get where they’re going.”

Travelers with a valid U.S. passport can add it through the Wallet’s Quick Access tab, and follow a short series of prompts. Once the passport is verified by Clear, the Samsung ID can be used at security with a tap or a QR scan, replacing the usual document check.

The company stresses that the system is built with security in mind. Access to the digital ID requires a fingerprint or PIN, and the information is encrypted directly on the device using Samsung Knox. The idea is to give Samsung Galaxy users a fast, secure way to prove who they are without handing over a physical document.

“Clear’s secure identity verification platform makes experiences safer and easier — both physically and digitally,” Clear CEO Caryn Seidman Becker claims. “Now with Clear’s secure identity platform embedded in Samsung Wallet, verifying your identity is easier than ever. Samsung ID with Clear gives you a simple, secure ID in the palm of your hand.”

Samsung’s integration follows similar implementations by Google and Apple. Google Wallet enables TSA checks of digital ID with U.S. passports. Apple’s Wallet on iPhones and Apple Watches is another digital ID allowing U.S. passports to be added.

With Samsung and Apple being among the biggest vendors for smartphones, and Google the developers of Android, it means U.S. passports have a “home” digitally on personal devices, while other digital IDs and more passports are being added. Google Wallet has added support for passports for Singapore, Brazil and Taiwan, while the Apple Wallet now allows age verification capabilities.

With Samsung joining Apple and Google in supporting passport-based credentials, U.S. passports now have a presence across the three dominant mobile ecosystems. The trend points toward a future in which government-issued identity documents are increasingly stored, presented and verified through digital wallets, creating a foundation for broader digital identity, age assurance and travel credential use cases.

Article Topics

CLEAR  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  document verification  |  identity verification  |  Samsung Wallet