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Smartphones have replaced lots of other accessories — cameras, flashlights, calculators. But many people are still reluctant to swap the wallets in their pockets for their digital counterparts.

A key reason consumers are hesitant to use mobile payment services like Apple Pay and Android Pay, surveys say, is fear over security: High-profile retailer data breaches have made buyers wary of sharing credit card information.

But while there’s cause not to rely 100 percent on your mobile wallet just yet — lack of widespread acceptance by merchants, for one thing — security concerns shouldn’t be holding shoppers back, experts say.

Samsung Pay, Android Pay and Apple Pay each use this process, called tokenization. Although you do upload your credit card number into the payment app, the actual card number is not shared with the merchant when you pay. Rather, a temporary code is issued in its place, similar to the way EMV chip cards work.

EMV credit and debit cards have chips that create a unique code, or cryptogram, when inserted into a merchant’s payment terminal. However, in this method, the card remains in view while the terminal reads the chip.

Mobile payments also provide security measures on top of existing bank protections that chip cards can’t match. Full card numbers are not displayed in mobile wallet apps, and users are able to authorize payments with their fingerprints, which can protect your card information in the event your phone is stolen (assuming you have a phone with a fingerprint reader).

Despite all these benefits, consumers don’t entirely trust mobile wallets, partly because availability is limited, Ranta said. Not all cards and loyalty programs are compatible with the payment services, and some stores are not equipped to take mobile payments. Establishments such as bars and restaurants may accept only cash or plastic.

Apple Pay has the highest retailer acceptance rate among the mobile payment services, at 36 percent, according to survey data from the retail consulting firm Boston Retail Partners.

“We’re still very much in the early stages of this,” Ranta said. “At the end of the day, it’s still that awkward, ‘Do you accept it?’ and if (not), then you’ve got to find an alternative way to pay, or just walk out of the store.”

As technology advances, Chaikin said, innovations and improvements in security will likely make the process more comfortable and accessible for consumers and retailers alike. “Our mobile phone revolution is really just at the tipping point.”

— Nerdwallet via AP