Google has attempted to beef up its under-performing wallet app with a number of new features including P2P money transactions, loyalty cards and stored offers.

The search giant will this week introduce its new version of the Google Wallet app to Android phones (version 2.3 and above) in the US, according to a blog by Peter Hazlehurst (pictured), director, product management, Google Wallet.

Wallet users will be able to use their smartphones to send money to anyone in the US with an email address, providing they are 18 and older, using their Wallet balance, a linked bank account, and credit or debit card (fees apply to transfers from cards).

Users can also add their loyalty cards to the wallet by scanning the barcode or inputting the card number into the app. In-store, the user will scan their handset at checkout to add loyalty points.

The app also gives users access to Google-based offers. When they are at the checkout, they can redeem offers from Google Maps, Google Search, Google + or Google Offers. In addition, users will also be able to save offers on certain merchant and couponing sites such as Valpak.

Users do not need a NFC-enabled handset to take advantage of the additional features in this latest version of Google Wallet, so potentially broadening its appeal to a wider base of users. However users still need an NFC capability to make point-of-sale payments with the wallet app.

Google said NFC-based payments are possible on 29 different devices, which will also be upgraded to the new Wallet features. “We also have more NFC-enabled devices on the horizon as we continue to invest in NFC with our partners,” said Hazlehurst’s blog.

The Wall Street Journal also suggested the update might mean Google is preparing an iOS version of the wallet (the iPhone of course lacks NFC). Others saw the additional loyalty feature as an attempt to match Apple’s Passbook.