Google Wallet

Google rolled out its Google Wallet web app at the beginning of the month and introduced support for all major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, America Express, and Discover, at the same time. Today, the company announced on the Google Commerce blog that Discover Card is the first to implement the new “Save to Wallet” API for credit and debit card issuers.

Discover securely transmits all required information directly to Google Wallet. You can then select your Discover Card to be the primary method the Google Wallet app will use for in-store purchases, or when shopping online from Google Play or other merchants that accept Google Wallet. You’ll continue to earn rewards on every purchase you make. Discover has also provided Google Wallet with card imagery for the Discover More® Card, so you can easily identify your virtual Discover card in your mobile wallet.

Google demoed the new API during its full Wallet session at Google I/O in June. The feature allows card issuers and eventually other partners to provide a “Save to Wallet” or “Add Your Card” option in their website or application to securely transfer card and account information to Google Wallet. Google said the API would eventually extend to saving Offers in addition to payment cards.

To save a Discover Card to Google Wallet, follow the instructions below:

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Verizon Wireless muddied the water earlier this year when it announced that it would not allow Galaxy Nexus users to access Google Wallet. Many began to theorize that Big Red’s move was a defense for its own ISIS mobile payment solution brewing, but a few crafty folks figured out a way to bypass Verizon’s restrictions.

Now, merely a day after the Federal Communications Commission slapped Verizon with a $1.25 million charge for not keeping the “open network” pledge it made when it bought a block of 700MHz spectrum, things have changed. As JR Rafael noted, why does the open network standard not apply to Google Wallet too?

Engadget reported this evening that Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners can now access Google Wallet without any workarounds. The news also comes just after Google Wallet was updated with remote wipe, a web app, and support for all major credit cards yesterday afternoon. Right now, Verizon Galaxy Nexus users do not appear to be able to search for Google Wallet on the Play store and download it; however, they can download Google Wallet with a direct link. Folks, give it a try. [Google Play via Engadget] 
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Virgin Mobile just announced the LG Optimus Elite, a 3.5-inch Android 2.3 device featuring a 5-megapixel camera and 800 MHz processor, as its first device with NFC and Google Wallet. The device will officially go on sale on May 15 for $250 and is already available for pre-order (here).

Google confirmed Google Wallet was headed to Virgin late last month with the LG Optimus Elite, which is also available through Sprint alongside the Google Wallet-enabled Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper 4G.

The full press release from Virgin is below:

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During the Q&A of a recent interview, AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson said some interesting things about the Android ecosystem.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Q3drI4yyiVw&start=2675]

His statements are confusing, because we have been— up to this point—lead to believe that there is a straightforward way this works:

1. Google open sources the Android OS.
2. After that, manufacturers get the OS working on their devices with drivers and  (gawdforsaken) overlays.
3. Finally, the carriers certify the OS on those devices (and add a bunch of crapware).

In a response to the questioner, Stephenson blamed Google, saying, “Google determines what platform gets the newest releases and when. A lot of times, that’s a negotiated arrangement and that’s something we work at hard. We know that’s important to our customers. That’s kind of an ambiguous answer because I can’t give you a direct answer in this setting.”

He then goes on to explain how great Windows is and how he has been using it for a month. He also said Android needs to work on security.

While the questioner is speaking in the broader sense about getting his older Android device updated, it is possible that he is referring to the recent Galaxy Nexus that hit Verizon first in December. The GSM version of the Galaxy Nexus was available on AT&T before the release on Verizon (I was an early user) if you bought the phone without a plan.
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Google today revealed that it purchased mobile payments company TxVia for an undisclosed sum of money.

we’ve acquired payments technology company TxVia to complement our payments capabilities and accelerate innovation towards our full Google Wallet vision. TxVia is a technology pioneer that offers a fast, flexible and highly reliable payments platform—which we believe is one of the best in the world.

Since 2008, TxVia has supported the management of more than 100 million accounts. They’ve partnered with the industry’s best known brands, and their leadership team has played an instrumental role in defining the fast-growing prepaid card segment of emerging payments. In this time, TxVia has also certified and directly connected to the major payment networks, which establishes a solid foundation for Google Wallet and our partners to drive innovation on a global scale and in a partner friendly way.

Google Wallet has been somewhat slow in adoption due in no small part to the competing Verizon-AT&T-T-Mobile ISIS consortium. Google’s Payments team has also undergone some strife…

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We knew it was coming since January when Google confirmed the Galaxy Nexus would launch on Sprint after first releasing exclusively on Verizon. According to a document sent to The Verge from an anonymous Walmart employee, the device will launch April 22 at Sam’s Club. There will not be many surprises when it finally does launch, as leaked ads in January revealed a 1.5GHz processor, opposed to the 1.2GHz packed in Verizon’s variant. Other than that, we will likely see a device that is identical to Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus, but Sprint—unlike Verizon—will support Google Wallet.

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Update: General admission tickets appear to have hit eBay starting at $2,000, over double the original $900 ticket price.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you… Less than half an hour after going on sale, Google I/O tickets officially sold out for the event that Google promised will be “totally insane.” Tickets went on sale at 7 a.m. PST this morning. Approximately 27 minutes later, the registration page confirmed both academic and general admission tickets sold out. Google’s Vic Gundotra later confirmed tickets sold out in “a bit over 20 minutes!” with the registration page “experiencing 6,250 qps load on our servers at 7:01am!” He did note that for everyone else the keynote and key sessions will be live streamed.

Those of you that were lucky enough to get your hands on the $900 ticket will be attending the three-day event from June 27 to June 29 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. We will—of course—report on anything interesting out of the event this summer.

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We told you earlier this month that Google I/O registration was opening today, March 27. With last year’s tickets selling out in less than an hour, we thought we should remind you that tickets would be going on sale today at 7 a.m. PDT/ 10 a.m. EST. This year’s Google I/O is a three-day event, and while we do not have any confirmation that we might see the much-rumored Google Glasses, we have heard from Google employees that this year’s event will be “totally insane.”

If you want to get your hands on tickets approximately 30 minutes from now, head over to the registration page for all the details. You will need a Google+ account and a free Google Wallet account to complete the process. The event will be running from June 27 to June 29 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Here is what the $900 ticket will get you:

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Google’s mobile payment system, known as Google Wallet,” has not received the kind of warm welcome that the company might have hoped. First, there were issues with Verizon blocking the service on the new Galaxy Nexus as the carrier prepped its own rival service, known as “ISIS.” Wallet then had a few roadblocks with security concerns related to prepaid cards, which the company apologized for with complimentary $5 deposits to Google wallet users. Today, a report from Bloomberg citing “people with knowledge of the project” claimed, despite being “enthusiastic” about progress, Google is considering sharing revenue with carriers to get them to support the technology:

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Google underwent a firestorm last month over security concerns and provisioning difficulties with its Google Wallet service, and now the Internet giant is doling out $5 to users as an apology for the fiasco.

Upon opening Google Wallet today, users will each notice a bonus added to their pre-paid card accounts. The Mountain View, Calif.-based Company has not officially confirmed the rueful gesture, but a circulating email from the Google Wallet Team seems to confirm the $5 deposits are not a glitch.

The full email from the Google Wallet Team is below (via DroidLife).

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsaJMhcLm_A]

Google Wallet’s Vice President Osama Bedier said United States carrier Sprint Nextel would receive 10 additional phones with Google Wallet support this year.

Bedier spoke at “Mobile World Congress 2012” show in Barcelona this week during the “Mobile Money: Delivering Innovative Mobile Payment Services” panel. He said Google Wallet support is expanding to the upcoming LG Viper this spring with roll outs slated for a suite of additional smartphones soon after…

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Hackers uncovered an issue this week with Google Wallet on routed phones. The hackers found that pin numbers for Google Wallet on rooted phones can be cracked with simple software. Google quickly released a statement and said it is working on a fix. Meanwhile, a hack also released for non-rooted devices, which is a huge safety concern. Late last night, Google released a post on its Commerce Blog giving a little more of its view on the matter.

Google announced that it would disable provisioning of prepaid cards. This will help if you ever lose a phone and someone wants to use your prepaid card to make purchases. This is a temporary solution, but Google is still looking for a permanent fix.

Google also reminded us that it offers a toll-free line if users ever have a concern or question about Google Wallet accounts. The support line is open 24/7.

Google also said that Google Wallet is safer than plastic cards and folded wallets. The company even talked about the security concerns’ rooting an Android device creates:

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[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P655GXnE_ic&feature=player_embedded”]

If your Android device is rooted, and you use Google Wallet, beware. zVelo reported this evening that Google Wallet’s PIN verification system was cracked through brute force. If someone were to obtain your device and deploy this hack, the stranger would be able to access all of your financial information to make purchases. Yes, this crack was distributed online so it can get in the hands of hackers.

It is simple: If you use Google Wallet, do not root your device. Check it out in action in the video above.

Update: As noted by The Next Web, Google is already working on a fix for the bug.

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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.

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After leaked advertisements and many rumors, Google finally announced on Jan. 9 that Sprint would be the second carrier to host the Galaxy Nexus. Roughly close to a month has passed, and we have not heard anything out of Sprint or Google in terms of launch. However, finally this weekend, Google posted the official sign-up website for those looking to order the Galaxy Nexus on the Now Network.

The Sprint version of the Galaxy Nexus is unlike the Verizon version due to it Google’s Wallet technology and a faster processor. Last month, we exclusively told you that Verizon would not have Wallet because of its own wallet-like technology in development.

As some background, the Galaxy Nexus should be the first LTE device on the Now Network. It will rock 32GB of storage, along with a 4.65-inch 720P HD screen, 5-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM, and Android 4.0. There is no word on a launch date, but if you are interested—we suggest going ahead and signing up. (via Android Central)

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Google celebrated its 1oth anniversary in Canada by doubling its staff and indicating hopes to have an even larger presence in 2012.

The company currently has 300 employees in four Canadian offices, in Toronto, Waterloo, Ottawa, and Montreal. Google’s global headcount was listed at 32, 353 in the third quarter of 2011.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based search engine first moved north in 2001, and Head of Mobile Advertising Eric Morris was one of the first Google Canada employees to start work for the  North American sect.

“Canada is one of the fastest growing markets for Google and it’s one of our big bets corporately,” said Morris. “It’s a market that Google is very committed to and investing in heavily in terms of resources and growing very, very quickly.”

In 2002, according to Morris, Google projected that 70 percent of Canada’s population would be online by 2017. Canada reached 79 percent in 2010.

“In 2010, 93 percent of households with three or more people, as well as those with at least one member under the age of 18, had home Internet access,” reported a recent Canadian Internet Use Survey. “By contrast, 58 percent of one-person households had home Internet access.”

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In a move to combat Amazon’s dominance in the delivery of physical products, Google is said to be in talks with “major retailers and shippers” to create their own rival service, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The companies that are reportedly considering partnering with Google — Macy’s, OfficeMax, and Gap Inc– are some of the same that recently signed up to integrate the company’s Google Wallet NFC platform into their retail locations. Google’s service will compete directly with Amazon’s Prime, which offers same-day or next-day shipping on all of their products.

Google plans to meld an existing product-search feature that directs shoppers to retail websites with a new quick-shipping service that the Internet giant will oversee. The quick-shipping service will be based on a Google behind-the-scenes system that allows shoppers to figure out whether stores have a product in stock and that allows them to find out whether they can get that product shipped to them within a day.

Amazon has seen huge success with their $79 a year Prime program. Not only do customers get expedited shipping on products, but get added bonuses on Amazon’s Kindle Fire when it comes to media downloads and their MP3 store. The report mentions that Google has talked to UPS to also partner in the program.

It’s not clear if the program will cost a subscription fee like Amazon Prime, or if it will be offered free through the help of their partnerships. Google seems to like to stick with the free model more than anything, so I wouldn’t discount the possibility.

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Thanks to Bay Area-based startup Cataloupe Systems, Google Wallet is once again expanding its reach, this time with NFC-enabled vending machines.

According to a report from All Things D, The startup has already installed Google Wallet-powered payment terminals in roughly 6,000 vending machines across Chicago, the mid-Atlantic region, and San Francisco. A good start, but a fraction of the approximately six million vending machines in the U.S., 80,000 of which Cantaloupe is responsible for.

While credit card payments among users tend to be much less for lower priced items due to transaction fees, the company plans to offset those concerns with coupons and rewards delivered to users through the app. Users will also be able to send real-time complaints and possibly even requests for particular products to be included next time the machine is restocked.

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Google has announced on their Commerce Blog this evening that they are now rolling Google Checkout into Wallet. Since Checkout’s focus was to simplify online checkouts, Wallet will now be rolling out to more places over the web including the Android Market, Google+ Games, YouTube, and even more Google sites.

Since both products have a similar goal, to simplify purchasing items, it makes sense for Google to roll the products together. For current Commerce users they will be able to setup a Wallet account when logging again, while merchants won’t have to make any changes. Wallet looks like its ready to roll for this Holiday season.

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