GoogleWallet

Six 'GoogleWallet' stories February 2012 - August 2012

Google Wallet gets Web App, updated with all major credit cards and remote wipe

Élyse Betters Aug 1 2012 - 10:43 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuFVsaFCzsw&feature=player_embedded]

Google Wallet is now cloud-based, supports any type of credit or debit card, and it is safer than ever before thanks to secure storage and remote disabling.

U.S. carriers are extremely stingy about letting Google put the Wallet app on its own operating system. While Sprint and its Virgin subsidiary have Google Wallet enabled on most of their new Android phones, Verizon has outright banned it—even on the Galaxy Nexus. AT&T and T-Mobile, which, with Verizon, are part of the competing ISIS Wallet standard. Both refuse to carry phones that use Google Wallet, but you can buy an unsubsidized GSM Galaxy Nexus that works on both networks just fine.

Google seems to have found another way around the ban, according to the the official Google Commerce blog:

“Today we’re releasing a new, cloud-based version of the Google Wallet app that supports all credit and debit cards from Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Now, you can use any card when you shop in-store or online with Google Wallet. With the new version, you can also remotely disable your mobile wallet app from your Google Wallet account on the web.”

Google Wallet is simple: Card information is entered on the app, or on its new online wallet and Google Play, and manageable transaction records for in-store and online purchases appear on the phone (and now the Web!) immediately after payment use.

Google also instantly charges the selected credit or debit card. Well, when a user pays, the virtual card is transmitted to the merchant, but then the back-end charges the selected card. Note: It does not directly charge the card, because it is a proxy card.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google announces ‘Save to Wallet API’ at Google Wallet I/O session [Video]

Jordan Kahn Jun 29 2012 - 11:08 am PT

0 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpEGuSwv1fY&feature=player_embedded&start=585]

Above is the full Google I/O session for Google Wallet Cloud APIs, and perhaps the most notable announcement comes at 9:45 seconds of the video when Google introduces a new “Save to Wallet” API that will initially roll out to select partners. Coming to offers and payment cards first, the new feature will allow consumers to save coupons and deals or load a payment cards directly from a merchant’s website to Google Wallet. Check out the video for all the details.

Google reportedly working on Google Wallet 2.0, as Sprint allegedly works to launch its own solution (9to5google.com)
Google Wallet arrives on Virgin Mobile Optimus Elite with $25 freebie to start (9to5google.com)
MasterCard adds 16 smartphones to PayPass NFC payments (9to5google.com)

Google Wallet arrives on Virgin Mobile Optimus Elite with $25 freebie to start

Seth Weintraub May 18 2012 - 5:50 am PT

0 Comments

Virgin Mobile, a wholly-own subsidiary of Sprint, announced this morning that it would begin rolling out Google Wallet on its Android phones beginning with the recently announced LG Optimus Elite.

The Elite is a small iPhone-ish sized Android device running Android 2.3. It hit Virgin last week and follows the Optimus V and Slider as popular low-cost Android devices on Virgin Mobile.

Google Wallet has had a rough time with United States carriers. Verizon, with the Galaxy Nexus, blocked it late last year, and AT&T and T-Mobile both have refused to subsidize the Galaxy Nexus GSM version that is available off-plan for $399 through Google’s new Play Store. All three carriers are members of the rival ISIS mobile payments platform, and it is obvious that there is some anti-competitive pressure.

Virgin parent Sprint is a Google Wallet Partner, so it would make sense to see Wallet passed to more Virgin phones and perhaps even Sprint’s other pre-paid subsidiary, Boost Mobile.

The press release follows:

Expand
Expanding
Close

Expansys offers the unlocked Galaxy Nexus for $399 with free shipping, no tax

Élyse Betters Apr 25 2012 - 2:37 pm PT

0 Comments

Expansys is now selling the unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus for $399.99. The Google Play store showcase’s the same price tag, but this deal features free shipping, no sales tax, and more payment options like PayPal and Amazon.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Verizon slashes $100 from Galaxy Nexus price to $199

Élyse Betters Apr 23 2012 - 11:27 am PT

0 Comments

Verizon is now offering the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for $199.99 on a two-year contract— a $100 discount.

The carrier’s internal MAP documents from last week suggested a new asking price was coming sooner rather than later, and it seems Verizon was quick to match Sprint’s newly announced price tag for the device. The attractive savings also levels the flagship Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone with Verizon’s other high-end handsets such as the Droid 4 and LG Spectrum. However, Verizon’s off-contract price for the Galaxy Nexus is still fixed at $649.99.

For those unaware, the LTE-capable Galaxy Nexus also packs a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED contoured display, dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB Ram, and a 5-megapixel camera coupled with a 1.3-megapixel front shooter.

Expand
Expanding
Close

GSM Galaxy Nexus on AT&T can use Google Wallet, Verizon version still lacking

Jake Smith Feb 2 2012 - 6:27 pm PT

4 Comments

The Sprint version of the Galaxy Nexus is the only variant to officially see Google Wallet. However, a new report from Droid-Life said the GSM Galaxy Nexus with an AT&T SIM card can download and access Google Wallet from the Android Market, which is a sigh of relief for many users. As you can see in the screenshot above, courtesy of Droid-Life, there are not any hoops–just a simple download.

Google Wallet gives users the ability to use the built-in NFC chip to pay for goods. Google Wallet was first introduced on the Sprint Galaxy S, and it saw a quick rollout to many retail outlets.

Last year, we broke news that Verizon Wireless was blocking the use of Google Wallet on its version of the Galaxy Nexus to later push its own payment platform. It was not clear if Sprint and AT&T would do the same. We now know that the Sprint version will come with it officially paired, and it can at least be downloaded on the GSM AT&T variant.

Expand
Expanding
Close