When will Canada have Google Wallet?

May 27, 2011

Google on Thursday unveiled a mobile wallet platform and field tests in New York and San Francisco that will let people with special phones pay for goods in retail shops by tapping the phones against a payment terminal.

Google expects to officially release the product this summer in the U.S. Google officials also said that some 300,000 international retailers have the capability to support the mobile wallet, but they did not elaborate on plans outside of the U.S.

Visa's plan to launch a digital wallet system in the U.S. and Canada this fall is by far the largest and most ambitious of any similar initiative announced by credit card processors, banks or wireless carriers.

The Google Wallet initially supports Mastercard credit cards from Citi and users can pay for goods at 120,000 U.S. shops including Macy's, Walgreens, Subway, Noah's Bagels, American Eagle, Bloomingdale's, Peet's Coffee, Toys 'R' Us and others.

Sprint is also a partner at the launch, since it sells Google's Nexus S phone, one of the only phones in the U.S. capable of using the new Google Wallet. The Nexus S supports NFC, an open standard backed by many companies including Microsoft, Visa, Sony, Nokia and AT&T. However, Android now supports NFC technology and additional phones are expected to become available soon.

"We're extending an open invitation to merchants and ecosystem partners like payment networks, carriers and banks to join us in creating tomorrow's best shopping experience," said Stephanie Tilenius, vice president of commerce for Google.

- Source: Nancy Gorhing, itbusiness.ca



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