How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Digital Wallet App?

How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Digital Wallet App?
9 min read
05 September 2023

The demand for secure and simple payment solutions is increasing in the digital world. Hence, digital wallet apps have emerged as a popular choice for businesses and consumers.

This app provides a virtual platform to make and receive mobile payments. In the USA, the popularity of smartphones and the acceptance of mobile payments are growing. As a result, it is a lucrative opportunity for businesses to develop digital wallet apps.

This article will explore the costs of building a digital wallet app. From project discovery to app launch, you need to spend money to develop an app successfully. Understanding the cost factors involved in these steps helps you make an informed business decision and properly allocate resources.

What is a Digital Wallet?

A digital wallet is a virtual wallet that lets users store and manage their financial information. It also helps to make payments automatically. It is a simple way to carry out your transactions using smartphones, computers, and internet-based devices.

It is an online version of a physical wallet that does not need to carry physical cash and cards because it stores your debit or credit card information, banking details, and even digital currencies like bitcoins.

Some famous examples of digital wallets are Microsoft Wallet, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. These apps provide in-built security such as two-factor authentication, advanced encryption, biometrics, one-time PIN codes, and virtualization to secure personal data.

How Does It Work?

To use a digital wallet app, you typically need to download the mobile app or access a website offered by service providers.

After installation, you need to link your bank account to this app. Now, you can use digital wallets to make payments online or in physical stores that accept digital payments.

Instead of manually entering each transaction's card details, you can store the data and select the digital wallet as your payment choice.

You can authorize the payments using passwords, facial recognition, or fingerprints.

This digital wallet app considers additional features such as loyalty program integration, transaction history, and sending or receiving payments from other digital wallet users.

Benefits of Developing Digital Wallets for Businesses

Building a digital wallet app can provide several benefits to businesses, from improving the customer experience to increasing sales and saving costs. But, at the same time, it is required for companies to assess the cost factors involved in the development process to ensure successful app development.

Let's catch up on the benefits of digital wallet app development in detail.

Enhanced Customer Experience

The digital wallet app facilitates a seamless and convenient payment experience for customers. You can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty by developing a user-friendly digital wallet app.

Increased Revenue And Sales

Using a digital wallet app, you can tap into the emerging market of potential mobile users. A quick and secure payment option enables you to attract more customers and generate higher revenue and sales.

Cost Savings

It eliminates the need for a physical payment structure like card terminals. It can save costs by reducing transaction fees and maintenance expenses.

Data-Driven Insights

Digital wallets collect valuable customer data that can be accessed to increase insights into consumer preferences and behavior. This data can help businesses customize their services and marketing strategies.

Competitive Advantageous

By considering the digital wallet, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors and maintain their position as innovative and customer-centric. It can give them a competitive edge in the marketplace.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Digital Wallet App?

The cost of developing a digital wallet app can vary as it depends on different factors, such as the type of digital wallet, the app's features and functionalities, and the location of developers or companies.

The cost of a primary digital wallet, considering standard features like basic transactions, storing credit cards, and security protocols, can range between $40,000 and $80,000 per year.

If you want advanced features like analytics and data insights, loyalty program integration, and geolocation-based push notifications, the cost can range between $80,000 and $180,000 annually.

For highly complex digital wallet apps like those integrated with other systems such as blockchain or wallet that need high-level encryption and security. The cost can range between $200,000 and $300,000 per year.

Factors Affecting the eWallet App Development Cost

It is essential to consider that the estimated costs are rough estimates and can vary significantly based on factors such as the app's complexity, geographical locations, project-specific requirements, and development company rates. It is recommended to consult with a digital wallet app development company to get exact quotes based on your specific project needs.

Let's catch up on these factors in detail.

Platform Selection

The choice of platform (Android, iOS, or both) on which a digital wallet app is developed can affect the development costs. Developing for multiple platforms will require added time and resources. Consequently, it will increase the development cost.

The estimated cost of developing a digital wallet on an Android platform may range from $15,000 to $25,000. While developing the app on the iOS platform costs around $18,000 to $30,000. Furthermore, creating a digital wallet app on a cross-platform platform may require $15,000 to $40,000 per year.

Designing and User Interface

You need an attractive and user-friendly design to develop a successful digital wallet app. The complexity and customization of the design and the inclusion of additional features like animation and transition may also affect the development cost.

The rough estimated cost for designing UI and UX ranges from $5,000 to $20,000 per year, depending on the project scope and specialization of the designers.

Development Team

The expertise and size of the development team may influence the digital wallet app development cost. The group includes UI/UX designers, project managers, frontend and backend developers, quality assurance engineers, and many more.

The cost of the digital wallet app will depend on different factors such as team size, experience level, and the duration of the development procedure. It also depends on the location of the development team.

Let's break down these costs according to locations:

Location

Cost, $

United States

$200,000

Australia

$120,000

Eastern Europe

$90,000

Western Europe

$140,000

Asia

$55,000

Third-Party Integrations

Integrating third-party services like payment gateways, authentication systems, or SMS providers can increase the complexity of the development procedure. The cost will depend on the complexity and number of integrations required. Additionally, licensing or usage fees related to third-party services may affect the development cost.

Its cost may range from $5,000 to $30,000+ per year, depending on particular project requirements. It depends on the specific project requirements.

Tech Stack

The selection of the tech stack and framework used for development may influence the cost. Some techs may need higher expertise or licensing fees, while others may be highly cost-effective depending on the functionality.

The cost will depend on the specific tech stack and the level of customization. The price for the tech stack will range from $10,000 to $50,000+ per year.

Security

Security is essential for digital wallet apps, as it aids in protecting user data and transactions. Applying security measures such as secure authentication, encryption, and adherence to compliance may increase development costs. The cost of security will depend on its complexity and expertise level.

The rough cost of security measures can range from $10,000 to $50,000 or more per year.

Testing and quality assurance

Thorough testing and quality assurance processes are significant for delivering reliable digital wallet apps. The cost will depend on the required level of testing, such as functional testing, usability testing, security testing, and performance testing.

The rough cost may range from $5,000 to $30,000+ per year for testing, depending on its complexity level.

Maintenance and Updates

Once an app is installed, ongoing maintenance and updates are required to keep the digital wallet up-to-date, fixing glitches and adding new functionalities. The cost depends on the frequency of updates and the necessary extent of support.

The estimated cost for maintenance and updates may range from $5,000 to $30,000+ per year. However, it relies on development team size and project scope.

Conclusion

Developing a digital wallet app includes different factors that can affect the overall cost. The cost can vary greatly depending on the platform, design complexity, development team, third-party integration, tech stacks, security measures, testing, and maintenance. It is important to make a budget and plan according to project requirements.

By investing in user-friendly design, businesses can provide different benefits to customers. These benefits include convenience, inventory management, cost-effective transactions, increased security, and access to valuable information.

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Naveen Khanna 0
Naveen Khanna is the CEO of ebizneeds Business Solutions which provides web and mobile app development services worldwide. He has over 20 years of experience in...
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