Google Wallet, the mobile app that turns your smartphone into a wallet, was launched last Monday, September 19, 2011. This is an electronic payment application that allows you to use associated credit and other payment cards like the Google Prepaid Card through your phone.
Once you've setup the necessary payment card information into the app, you can then tap and swipe the phone at the check out counter. It also allows you to collect and redeem any offers or discounts from allied merchants at the point-of-sale. The Wallet’s featured technology which facilitates the contactless transaction is near-field communication (NFC). Google Wallet was first revealed to the public last May.
As advanced as the use of NFC technology sounds, this first release has some unavoidable limitations. Among the various smartphones out in the market today, it seems that the Sprint Nexus S 4G is the only handset suitably NFC-enabled for the app. Actually, it's the only device that received the over-the-air update during the launch.
So far the app only works for Citi MasterCard, Visa, and the Google Prepaid Card. The last one however can be loaded through any other payment card, so this at least provides some flexibility for the user. According to Osama Bedier, Google's Vice President of Payments, Discover and American Express have made their NFC specs available to the company. You could probably expect them to be included on upcoming versions of the app.
Related posts:
- Apple iPhone 5 to include mobile e-wallet
- Google voice on iPhone?
- Google announces Nexus S and Android 2.3
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Source: http://newsmartphonereviews.com/2011/google-wallet-officially-launched/
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