From holding to spending
A wallet you can only hold in is a savings account. A card makes the balance spendable everywhere Visa/Mastercard is accepted — a huge retention and utility unlock.
Distribution and data
Cards give wallets recurring engagement, real-world data, and a revenue line via interchange — strong incentives to ship one.
What it means for users
More choice, but also more cards to compare. Net value and country support still decide which is actually worth using.