When Google Wallet launches later this year, it will instantly compete with PayPal, Square, other credit card companies' mobile plans, and possibly even Apple. Plus, Google will have to convince all those Android partners to release NFC-enabled phones on multiple carriers. It could be a steep climb.
That said, Google's mobile commerce ecosystem is nothing if not comprehensive. The company walked us through the process, which runs the gamut from redeeming gift cards and collecting loyalty points to rewards and, of course, buying lots of stuff with no more than a tap of your phone on a special Point of Sale (POS) system. One Google exec demonstrated buying a pair of denim shorts for his daughter using the system. The first tap of the phone didn't seem to work, but the next one did, and soon he had half of a new outfit for his child—whether or not he wanted it.
Google launches Wallet and Offers this week in just a couple of cities, but they do have MasterCard PayPass support in over 100,000 retailers across the county. The company wants to use this test period to gauge how well the process works, and address questions like, what happens when your smartphone runs out of juice and you can't buy anything?
Hard to say whether or not this marks the beginning of the end for plastic. How many people, for instance, are ready to walk around without even a single credit card? Still, the smartphone is quickly becoming the most ubiquitous device we own. What could be more natural than using it to buy, say, your next smartphone?
1. Google Wallet Works with a Tap
2. Google Wallet: How it Works
3. Google Wallet: Any Citi MasterCard
4. Google Wallet: Google Card
5. Google Wallet: Nothing without Money
7. Google Wallet: Security
8. Google Wallet: Coupons
9. Google Wallet: Offers
10. Google Wallet: The More They Know
11. Google Wallet: Saved Offers
12. Google Wallet: Rewards
13. Google Wallet: Main Interface
14. Google Wallet: Where You Pay
16. Google Wallet: Ecosystem
17. Google Wallet: Nexus S 4G
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