Google Wallet - sending money with Google Wallet - Google Links Wallet to Gmail - Google announces e-mail money transfers for Google Wallet 2013
Google announced at Google I/O 2013 that Google Wallet users can now pay people via email.
(Credit:
Google)
SAN FRANCISCO--Google Wallet is growing up and it's not just about paying for stuff by tapping your phone anymore.
On Wednesday, the company made three announcements at its Google I/O
developer conference with regard to Google Wallet that take the service
well beyond specialized tap and go technology to make Google Wallet
more usable on the Web.
"We are not pulling away from NFC," Peter Hazlehurst, director of
product management for Google Wallet said in an interview. "We are
simply making a much richer Wallet experience. There are still places
where NFC can't be used. And not every device has it yet."
Still, Hazlehurst said he thinks that NFC's time will come. And in
the future as the technology proliferates, it will become more useful.
In the meantime, there are a lot of things that Google can do to make
the online buying experience, whether it's from a mobile device or from a
desktop or laptop computer, easier and more streamlined.
Payments via Gmail
The first new feature is the ability to send money to and from Google Wallet via e-mail.
Google also issued APIs, or application programming interfaces, that
developers can use to access Google Wallet and make buying stuff within
Android
apps and on the Web easier for consumers by stream-lining the process
and allowing customers to avoid re-entering payment information. And
finally, Google has created APIs that developers can use to allow
merchants to add easy access to loyalty cards and programs.
The e-mail payment functionality is probably the most interesting of
the three announcements since it finally makes it as easy to make a
digital payment to a friend or anyone else as it is to attach a photo or
document in an e-mail.
You can even send money to people who aren't using Gmail. And it's
free to send money if your bank account is linked to your Google Wallet
or by using a Google Wallet prepaid account. Service fees apply for
sending a money using a Google Wallet linked credit card or debit card.
Here's how it works. To send money in Gmail, hover over the
attachment paperclip, click the "$" icon to attach money to your
message, enter the amount you wish to send, and press send.
Sending money via Gmail is currently available only on the desktop.
To send money via a phone you can go to the Google Wallet mobile site at
wallet.google.com. In order to send or receive money, you will need to
set up a Google Wallet account. And the e-mail money transfers only work
for money sent within the U.S.
Google Wallet Instant Buy makes it easier to buy stuff on your phone.
(Credit:
Google)
Google's Hazlehurst said that consumers shouldn't worry about
security issues when sending money via Gmail. The company offers the
Google Wallet Purchase Protection plan, which covers users 100 percent
against eligible unauthorized payments. And he said that no actual
account information is transferred via e-mail.
The feature will be rolling out over the coming months throughout the
U.S. to users over the age of 18. You can also get access to the "$"
attachment icon if a friend has the feature and sends money to you.
Instant Buy
Google also announced the new Instant Buy API for developersto
help streamline the online buying experience. The new API will allow
app developers and Web developers to use Google+ single-sign on
technology to provide all the user and credit card information necessary
when buying physical goods within an app or online.
In a nutshell, consumers can purchase things from an app or online
store with just a couple of clicks. The company and one of its initial
Instant Buy partners, Priceline, showed off how easy this process can be
during a demonstration at a Google developer session here today.
The way to think of it is a more streamlined PayPal button for Google
users. Google has already signed up several partners including Airbnb,
Booking.com, Uber, and Expedia, who will all integrate the functionality
into their apps.
Google claims that the new functionality not only makes it easier for
consumers to complete their purchases, but it's also more secure. How?
The merchants themselves never get access to the full the full credit
card number, which means that sensitive account information isn't stored
on multiple merchant Websites.
Google now lets people add any loyalty card they want.
(Credit:
Google)
Google Wallet Objects API
The company also announced it will allow Google Wallet users to include any loyalty card in their Google Wallet.
Previous implementations of Google Wallet have been limited in the
loyalty cards that could be added to the digital wallet. Now consumers
can add loyalty cards and other items into the wallet, including
tickets.
The capability is similar to what Apple has introduced as part of its
Passbook capability. But Google's Hazlehurst says it goes a bit
further.
Google is also offering an API for developers to make signing up for
those loyalty cards easier. It will also give brands that use the API to
develop functionality into their mobile apps the ability to leverage
other Google services to make redeeming offers or pushing offers to
consumers easier. Specifically, this might mean using geofencing
technology to know when a customer is in the vicinity and sending him a
special offer.
Google is already working with several brands, including Alaska
Airlines, The Body Shop, BJs Restaurants, Marriott Rewards, and
RetailMeNot
What is Google Wallet?
Google Wallet is a free digital wallet that securely stores your credit
cards, debit cards, offers and more. With Google Wallet, you can buy
in-stores, buy online, and send money. You can buy in-stores by tapping
your NFC-enabled Android phone at any merchant location accepting
contactless payments. You can buy online on Google properties and on mobile
apps and sites, wherever you see the Buy with Google button. And you can
send money by logging into Google Wallet online, or within Gmail.com
