Google Wallet Card

https://www.google.com/wallet/shop-in-stores/index.html#instore-wallet-card

by Zaheer • 13 years ago

45 49 13 years ago

google.com

smallegan2• 13 years ago

It is extremely generous of Google to offer to track all of my purchase history for free.

garthdog• 13 years ago

So much more evil than what CC companies already do today, amirite?

bdcravens• 13 years ago

Yes. CC companies are their own silo. Google aggregates data across multiple sources, and you can be certain that you'll start seeing ads related to purchases you've already made in meatspace.

toggle• 13 years ago

Yes, considering that CC companies have that information by the nature of the service they provide to you, their customer. On the other hand, Google seems to be expanding into more services to hungrily learn more about you and then provide than information to their real customers, the advertisers.

Edit: I should mention that I know that credit card companies sell data to third parties. But they don't exist only for that purpose, like Google nowadays. Thus, people are understandably less comfortable with Google knowing things.

smallegan2• 13 years ago

One could argue that the credit card companies are more entitled to my purchase history as they are the ones providing the line of credit. Google is simply doing a user allowed MITM "attack" in this case.

chadwickthebold• 13 years ago

Huh. Could someone point out how this is different from Coin? On first flush it seems like it will have an easier roll out time, but I can see how privacy conscious people will be wary of it.

Edit- and I mean different from Coin in a use case kind of way. I realize that Coin does stuff with the magnetic strip directly whereas this is just another card that is linked on the net to all of your other cards.

generalpf• 13 years ago

This one doesn't seem to be linked to your other cards, just your Google Wallet balance, which can possibly deduct money from a linked card?

In any case, big whoop.

dotBen• 13 years ago

UPDATE: Apparently folks are saying this is NOT how it works, although I read a write up that indicated this was how it works.

I'm leaving the original below anyway...

I believe it is linked. The idea is that you'll tell the app you want to pay with your Amex. You hand the Google Wallet Card to the retailer/waiter/etc and when they run the card it will be piggy-back-charged to your Amex by Google.

The difference to Coin is the switching to your "real" card is done in the datacenter not on the card itself via the mag strip.

And when the world evolves to contactless payments as the norm, you've already been trained to use the Google Wallet App (which supports that), whereas Coin will be obsolete.

Google is playing the long game.

andylei• 13 years ago

its free

potyl• 13 years ago

Is this USA only? None of my European devices are eligible through the Play Store for an install.

Gurrewe• 13 years ago

Sadyly, yes.

"Google Wallet Card is only available to US residents."

onehp• 13 years ago

It's getting pretty infuriating the direction they seem to be taking on this. I would gladly be using the wallet app without a card, KitKat on my Nexus 5 has it baked into the settings even, but Google seem to have no desire to put it out in the UK.

iamdann• 13 years ago

Meh, just like a Paypal debit card.

misterparker• 13 years ago

It's exactly the same. You have to add money from your other cards/accounts to the wallet balance (aka paypal balance) then you spend it from there.

So how long does it take for your google wallet balance to pull money from your other accounts or transfer the funds?

This would be innovative, if you could spend money on it, then choose from which account you want it to be deducted ex post facto, and if you don't choose within 24 hours then it gets deducted from your default account. While this might be cool, google would be assuming a large amount of risk.

thecoffman• 13 years ago

And how long after I take the time to import all of my loyalty cards into this system before Google decides to go a different direction and shuts this down?

Sigh...

moskie• 13 years ago

As opposed to options and products provided by other companies, that are guaranteed to be around forever and ever.

nivla4• 13 years ago

As opposed to options and products provided by other companies...

I think GP is rather trying to make an assessment based off Google's history of closing down services. Similar to I rather trust a stranger than a known con-artist, while realizing the possibility that either could walk away with your money.

psbp2• 13 years ago

This is basically the future of Google's business. You think they're developing products like autonomous cars, google now, and glass for kicks?

They want to provide very powerful incentives so they can take a small bit of every transaction.

PetrolMan• 13 years ago

Come on, you've got to stay current. Google shutting down services is so six months ago. Right now you should be complaining about privacy or Google+.

hammock• 13 years ago

I wonder why people carry all that plastic around instead of just entering their phone number at the register. The cards are mostly unneccesary

hadem2• 13 years ago

Perhaps to gain new customers who can't (or don't want to) use their phones at the checkout? Isn't the card good for stores that don't have means to use your phone as a means of payment? A more "traditional" way of paying if you will.

itsravi• 13 years ago

I was an avid GW user back when I had the Nexus S but since then, none of my phones have had NFC so I was pretty excited about this announcement. I would use GW, and it would go ahead and charge my credit card, no fees. But if I am understanding correctly, that functionality is no longer there? Must I "add" funds (and incur this fee) to maintain my previous use case?

Adding money to Wallet Balance from credit or debit card 2.9% fee with a $0.30 minimum

psbp2• 13 years ago

You have to add it directly from your account. It seems like a pretty sloppy implementation.

footpath• 13 years ago

Another discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6770398

From the top of the other thread:

"Let's clarify some things here, before the comment threads take off too much:

- This is a prepaid card. It does not proxy other cards, unlike previous rumored versions of a Wallet card.

- It only draws from Wallet balance. Funds can be added to wallet balance via various means (bank account [free], receiving a GMail P2P payment [free], credit cards [2.9% fee]), but this does not happen automatically.

As such, it does not appear to be trying to achieve the same "card replacement" that e.g. Coin is. No, it is simply providing another way to get at Wallet balance that doesn't involve transfer to a bank account or NFC payment. Could be useful for people who make use of GMail P2P payments."

anigbrowl2• 13 years ago

The P2P has the potential be quite disruptive to Paypal.

kin• 13 years ago

IMO Venmo (which Paypal bought) is an excellent P2P service so Google's P2P is more of a catch-up than anything disruptive.

wil4212• 13 years ago

So its like Coin except Google gets all of my purchasing data and I probably have to join Google+ at some point.

jsumrall• 13 years ago

Oh no! Google+!! It's not nice of google to force it down my throat just because I'm using my Google Wallet Card connected to my Nexus 5!

wil4212• 13 years ago

Pssh try a Galaxy S4 flashed with the GE ROM. Still has google bloatware though.

caiob• 13 years ago

Like anything that is brand new and cool, it's only available for US residents. :(

hadem2• 13 years ago

My first thought was along the lines of how great a service like this could be when abroad.

swah• 13 years ago

Not compatible with Nexus 4?

Google Wallet Card

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