Google Wallet near completion
Word on the streets is that Google Wallet is coming to retail stores soon, but there are a couple of retailers who are already testing out the idea of mobile payments with near field communication technology (NFC) on smartphones. It looks like the country is getting even closer to allowing big businesses to take payments by mobile phone and let consumers leave their credit cards at home.
Teenage and young adult clothing retailer American Eagle Outfitters silently began accepting Google Wallet about a month ago and is slowly seeing shoppers adopt the new technology. The Google Wallet app on an NFC-enabled smartphone allows users to store multiple credit cards or a Google prepaid card linked to a credit card to pay for goods and services. Initial partners and retailers taking on the new technology include MasterCard, Citi, Sprint, First Data payment processor, American Eagle Outfitters, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Subway.
The new Google app seems simple enough and works when users tap their phone against the payment reader, which instantly charges the item to the linked credit card. However, the businesses that Google is testing out seem to be targeting teens and younger professionals – with retailers like Subway and American Eagle Outfitters – so it will be interesting to see if the app hits the mainstream. At the same time, tech nerds can’t help but check out the new app so we can imagine that Google Wallet will be popular about social media buffs as well.
Stay tuned for any news updates in the upcoming weeks.
