Coming soon: make your phone your wallet
Thursday, May 26, 2011 | 9:20 AM
(cross-posted to Official Google Blog and Google Commerce Blog)
Today in our New York City office, along with Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint, we gave a demo of Google Wallet, an app that will make your phone your wallet. You’ll be able to tap, pay and save using your phone and near field communication (NFC). We’re field testing Google Wallet now and plan to release it soon.
Google Wallet is a key part of our ongoing effort to improve shopping for both businesses and consumers. It’s aimed at making it easier for you to pay for and save on the goods you want, while giving merchants more ways to offer coupons and loyalty programs to customers, as well as bridging the gap between online and offline commerce.
Because Google Wallet is a mobile app, it will do more than a regular wallet ever could. You'll be able to store your credit cards, offers, loyalty cards and gift cards, but without the bulk. When you tap to pay, your phone will also automatically redeem offers and earn loyalty points for you. Someday, even things like boarding passes, tickets, ID and keys could be stored in Google Wallet.
At first, Google Wallet will support both Citi MasterCard and a Google Prepaid Card, which you’ll be able to fund with almost any payment card. From the outset, you’ll be able to tap your phone to pay wherever MasterCard PayPass is accepted. Google Wallet will also sync your Google Offers, which you’ll be able to redeem via NFC at participating SingleTap™ merchants, or by showing the barcode as you check out. Many merchants are working to integrate their offers and loyalty programs with Google Wallet.
With Google Wallet, we’re building an open commerce ecosystem, and we’re planning to develop APIs that will enable integration with numerous partners. In the beginning, Google Wallet will be compatible with Nexus S 4G by Google, available on Sprint. Over time, we plan on expanding support to more phones.
To learn more please visit our Google Wallet website at www.google.com/wallet.
This is just the start of what has already been a great adventure towards the future of mobile shopping. We’re incredibly excited and hope you are, too.
Labels: android, google wallet, Mobile Blog, nfc
26 comments:
Graham said...
Why why why why why is Sprint the partner? T-Mobile has been the choice carrier for Google since the launch of Android. Now you punish customers who have owned a G2, Nexus One, and now a Nexus S on T-Mobile? Is this all do to the ATT merger? If so take an official stance and say that all developer phones will be Sprint from now on.
May 26, 2011 at 9:29 AM
Robert said...
Add support for my driver's license so I can truly ditch my wallet and I'm in!
May 26, 2011 at 9:30 AM
Tom Bradley said...
I might consider trying this on my EVO 4G once Sprint AND Google cough up my WAY overdue OS update. Or I might still feel like my security is secondary to selling new handsets. I guess we will have to wait and see.
May 26, 2011 at 10:20 AM
petew said...
What do you do when the battery dies?
May 26, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Michael Martin said...
Why is it only with the Nexus S on Sprint but not the one on T-Mobile that has the same NFC capabilities?!?
May 26, 2011 at 10:38 AM
Charlie said...
Yeah, I feel a little like I got suckered into buying a GSM Nexus S now. WTH?
May 26, 2011 at 11:45 AM
Admin said...
May 26, 2011 at 3:27 PM
Admin said...
Okay but: you can´t buy your first android phone using the google wallet :((( Contrasense ?!
May 26, 2011 at 3:28 PM
Feragola said...
@tomofpittsburgh
The only phone that has native NFC right now is the Nexus S. More to come in the near future.
@Graham
AT&T & Verizon already went with the ISIS system, so why would Google go with anyone other than Sprint, aside from that I bet you'll see them all on board before too long, even Apple.
May 26, 2011 at 4:52 PM
Brother said...
Sprint is falling behind all other carriers and does not have a coherent payment strategy when it relates to NFC, especially when the secure element (payment chip) and the carrier owned SIM card (GSM) should be the same (main driver from all GSM operators).
New NFC POS terminals, new and possibly limited (business-wise) phones and lack of support from main payment players will make the Google initiative difficult to nurture.
May 26, 2011 at 5:11 PM
Hugh Gage said...
Given that WiFi, 3G and Bluetooth all sap power like a sponge from an Android handset it seems safe to assume that NFC won't do much to reduce that. So if you have to keep NFC turned on to pay for things you may find that within a few hours your phone is no good for calls, texts, email, internet or more importantly paying for petrol...
May 26, 2011 at 5:49 PM
Feragola said...
@Hugh Gage
It's on demand, it doesn't constantly transmit or receive.
@Brother
I don;t know if you missed the part were CitiBank is their partner. Only one of the biggest banks in the world, I don't think that statement is accurate.
May 26, 2011 at 5:54 PM
ernest said...
It will be interesting how fast this will catch on with consumers. Mobile money really does provide a huge opportunity for businesses.
- Ernest Ramos
www.jmango.net
May 26, 2011 at 11:13 PM
Amna said...
Big opportunity throughout the world for everyone especially mobile companies to earn more from this i guess , i like what they tell about it this http://t.co/6KOftiV
May 27, 2011 at 2:42 AM
Karl said...
I got my Nexus S from
Best Buy ($530.00). NFC capability was one of the biggest reasons why i got this phone. Now you guys are saying i can't use it.
WTH???
basically i am getting screwed...
May 27, 2011 at 7:06 AM
Feragola said...
Why would you not be able to use it Karl? The article is specifically about the Nexus S since it is the Google Phone and one of the only ones with NFC right now in the US.
May 27, 2011 at 7:23 AM
Mark said...
nice to see it
best android apps
May 27, 2011 at 10:36 AM
GonHiDi said...
Will all Android NFC-marketed mobile phones support this technology? From Brother's comment I understand that, apart from an NFC antenna and controller, at least a secure element (either a chip in the handset or functionality included inside the SIM) is required for mobile payments to work.
I assume that the Samsung Nexus S has a secure element embedded, but is it the case for all other “NFC” Android mobiles? Do all secure elements have common capabilities and programming interface (both IC and SIM version), or might that that be part of the reason why the initial deployment is going to be limited to the Nexus S 4G?
May 28, 2011 at 12:13 PM
rapozel said...
thank you güncel blog
May 29, 2011 at 5:20 AM
Alice said...
Hi,
oh! am really excited for the announcement.just should wait and see what will happen.
Thanks&Regards,
Bestbuy coupons
May 29, 2011 at 10:56 PM
Wall Mount Review said...
People still make sure whether the Google wallet is really secure. However, I am glad with this new way of paying
May 31, 2011 at 7:41 AM
sasha said...
nice and informative post
I always love to read about
best android apps
May 31, 2011 at 9:21 AM
GSM said...
A really very useful mobile phone application. But i am little bit concern about the battery...what if the phone battery suddenly died out?
June 1, 2011 at 1:25 AM
alanna_b said...
I've read only a few comments, so I'm not sure if someone's already brought this up.
The way I see it, a wallet is a secure item. It's in our back pockets or our purses, and we only take it out to pay for something.
I have my phone out CONSTANTLY. Texting, checking email, playing games, even *gasp* making calls.
I've never lost my wallet.
I've lost my phone, or had it stolen, a total of four times.
Also, my wallet never loses power because I forgot to charge it.
For these reasons, I seriously doubt I'll ever use Google Wallet to replace an actual wallet. And if I don't do that, why would I need it?
Credit cards don't take up much room (and if you have that many credit cards, consider getting rid of some).
Instead of carrying around loyalty cards, I just give my name or phone number.
Thanks, Google, but I'll pass.
June 2, 2011 at 5:49 AM
Unknown said...
Sorry for big OT... but...
Please add native support for Panoramio for "send/share" buttons in all Android OS - deeper integration in android with panoramio & picasa special for gallery and Camera App! Really please!!!
June 4, 2011 at 5:26 AM
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June 9, 2011 at 1:54 AM
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