By Funto Omojola, NerdWallet Mobile wallets that allow you to pay using your phone have been around for well more than a decade, and over those years they’ve grown in popularity, becoming a key part of consumers’ credit card usage. According to a “state of credit card report” for 2025 from credit bureau Experian, 53% of Americans in a survey say they use digital wallets more frequently than traditional payment methods. To further incentivize mobile wallet usage, some credit card issuers offer bonus rewards when you elect to pay that way. But those incentives can go beyond just higher reward rates. In fact, mobile wallets in some ways are becoming an essential part of activating and holding a credit card. For example, they can offer immediate access to your credit line, and they can be easier and safer than paying with a physical card. From a rewards perspective, it can make a lot of sense to reach for your phone now instead of your physical card. The Apple Card offers its highest reward rates when you use it through the Apple Pay mobile wallet. Same goes for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® when you use it to make purchases via the PayPal digital wallet. The Kroger grocery store giant has a co-branded credit card that earns the most when you pay using an eligible digital wallet, and some major credit cards with quarterly rotating bonus categories have a history of incentivizing digital wallet use. But again, these days it’s not just about the rewards. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and PayPal can offer immediate access to your credit line while you wait for your physical card to arrive after approval. Indeed, most major issuers including Bank of America®, Capital One and Chase now offer instant virtual credit card numbers for eligible cards that can be used upon approval by adding them to a digital wallet. Additionally, many co-branded credit cards — those offered in partnership with another brand — commonly offer instant card access and can be used immediately on in-brand purchases. Credit cards typically take seven to 10 days to arrive after approval, so instant access to your credit line can be particularly useful if you need to make an urgent or unexpected purchase. Plus, they allow you to start spending toward a card’s sign-up bonus right away. As issuers push toward mobile payments, a growing number of merchants and businesses are similarly adopting the payment method. The percentage of U.S. businesses that used digital wallets increased to 62% in 2023, compared to 47% the previous year, according to a 2023 survey commissioned by the Federal Reserve Financial Services. Wider acceptance is potentially good news for the average American, who according to Experian has about four credit cards. While that won’t necessarily weigh down your wallet, it can be hard to manage multiple cards and rewards categories at once. Mobile wallets offer a more efficient way to store and organize all of your workhorse cards, while not having to carry around ones that you don’t use often. They can also help you more easily monitor your spending and rewards, and some even track your orders’ status and arrival time. Plus, paying with a digital wallet offers added security. That’s because it uses technology called tokenization when you pay, which masks your real credit card number and instead sends an encrypted “token” that’s unique to each payment. This is unlike swiping or dipping a physical card, during which your credit card number is more directly accessible. And again, because a mobile wallet doesn’t require you to have your physical cards present, there’s less chance of one falling out of your pocket or purse. More From NerdWallet Funto Omojola writes for NerdWallet. Email: fomojola@nerdwallet.com. The article Activating Your Credit Card? Don’t Skip the Mobile Wallet Step originally appeared on NerdWallet .
MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Dovydas Butka had 18 points in Pepperdine's 85-46 win over UC Davis on Saturday. Butka had 10 rebounds for the Waves (6-7). Jaxon Olvera scored 15 points and added three steals. Stefan Todorovic went 4 of 10 from the field (1 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 11 points. Carl Daughtery Jr. led the way for the Aggies (7-5) with 11 points. Ty Johnson added nine points and two steals for UC Davis. Niko Rocak had seven points. Pepperdine took the lead with 18:20 remaining in the first half and did not give it up. Olvera led their team in scoring with 11 points in the first half to help put them up 43-19 at the break. Pepperdine pulled away with a 13-0 run in the second half to extend a 29-point lead to 42 points. They outscored UC Davis by 15 points in the final half, as Butka led the way with a team-high 10 second-half points. Both teams next play Saturday. Pepperdine visits Santa Clara and UC Davis squares off against Cal Maritime at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .The United States is using Taiwan to provoke a serious crisis in Asia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told TASS news agency in remarks published on Sunday, reiterating Moscow's backing of China's stance on Taiwan. "We see that Washington, in violation of the 'one China' principle that it recognises, is strengthening military-political contacts with Taipei under the slogan of maintaining the 'status quo', and increasing arms supplies," Rudenko told the state news agency. "The goal of such obvious US interference in the region's affairs is to provoke the PRC (People's Republic of China) and generate a crisis in Asia to suit... news24Quick hitter: Hounds give up five in the second, lose 8-5 to the Brampton SteelheadsAnthony Roy, the nation’s second-best scorer at 25.7 points per game, did not play for Green Bay. He was on the sideline with a walking boot on his left foot. Tomashek also contributed eight rebounds for the Huskies, who played the game as an exhibition. Dawson Nordgaard finished 5 of 9 from the floor to add 10 points. Ty Fernholz shot 3 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with nine points. Jeremiah Johnson recorded 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Phoenix (2-11). Marcus Hall added 17 points and Ryan Wade had 11 points and five assists. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .