Today Google is looking to gain a little more traction in the eCommerce world by announcing that their Google Wallet mobile payment system has nearly doubled in usage since opening up the app to all major credit and debit cards in the latest update. That means in just over a month usage has completely doubled. That is a good sign.
Google Wallet hasn’t taken off quite like us, or Google expected, but that could be in part to the fact that only one US carrier officially supports the mobile payment solution. I myself have been using it with my Verizon Galaxy Nexus for months at 7-11, Airports, and Starbucks all over town and find it super useful. What about you guys?
Discover Card recently made their own little customized area and artwork of Google Wallet for their cards, and Google is hoping other credit card companies follow suite. They’re also nicely asking for anyone that wants to participate in Google Wallet contact them for details. Pretty interesting blog entry Google.
For now this technology is still extremely early and in its infancy, and I can’t see it replacing my actual wallet (or money clip as shown above) any time soon. Once we start seeing NFC stations and MasterCard PayPass terminals across the US more then it could become a truly useful feature. So far my biggest two uses are the Airport and Starbucks. What about you guys? Where do you use Google Wallet — if at all?
[via Google Commerce Blog]
Odd that people don’t seem to know that Paypass is all over. Within 2 miles of my home, I can use my Google Wallet at CVS, McDonalds, three gas stations, and the local deli. Works fine.
I just wish Google wasn’t discontinuing its own branded card. I like to use it as a small value debit card and have no real intention of hooking it up to my actual debit card.
Yea I don’t know if that was a good move either. And Paypass is all over my area too but not always at drive-throughs like Starbucks and Jack in the Box.
I use it at mcdonalds and cvs quite regularly.. oh Whataburger too.. but the thing that really annoys me is there are an incredible number of places that have paypass that doesn’t work period.. it’s like the establishments know it doesn’t work, but they don’t bother to get it fixed.
aslo as @CoryGunther:disqus mentioned.. you can’t use it in hardly ANY drive-thrus.. lame.
I’ve used it at McDonalds but one time looked crazy as I tried over and over for a purchase only to find that one of the registers they had the NFC reader was broken. It was annoying having to figure this out myself as the cashier just stared at me as if I’m doing something wrong. I would like to use it at more places then there and one grocery store near my house but not many places I visit in Milwaukee have this. I bring it up at places that don’t so they can look into it though.
Off-topic:
Does that wallet you have (the real one) have built in NFC cancelling so people can’t just walk by and swipe info off your credit/debit card (if you have one with an NFC chip built in)? I don’t have a wallet like that but thought it might be a good idea since Chase has been putting these chips in their credit cards for some time now
I used it at 7/11 the other day. The cashier was like, “Dude, he just paid with his phone!”
I guess it hasn’t really caught on yet.
Hope Google will start supporting Wallet in the UK. I have used the prepaid card and found it very convenient. No credit left and no way to reload or use debit/credit cards with UK address.