Google Wallet

A few everyday technological achievements that many people take for granted can still make me awestruck when I think about them. With the technology we have in place today, I board a plane to Bangladesh, talk to my family via video call while 12,000 feet above the Indian Ocean, and extract local currency from a machine in the airport when I arrive. Tell me that's not downright miraculous.

But sometimes, I think of the things we should be doing with technology and can't believe it hasn't happened yet. Like, why don't we use computers to vote yet? And what the heck am I doing with a wallet full of credit cards that don't even support?Chip and PIN? Google Wallet (free) is the first mobile payment system that could finally pull us out of credit card dark ages. The system lets you store credit and debit card information from all major companies, as well as gift cards, in a secure Android app, and lets you make in-store purchases by simply touching your phone to a PayPass reader and keying in your PIN. Google Wallet also works online, and you don't need an Android device to use that part of it.

Since I first reviewed Google Wallet in October 2011, Google practically overhauled it, removing some but not all of the barriers and concerns potential users had. It used to work only on one phone with one specific credit card, but now supports a much broader selection of both (details below). The way Google Wallet stores sensitive information has improved as well. It is still confusing to find and install the app, but I'll explain how later in this article. Overall, Google has pushed a good idea further, but not to the point that consumers can adopt it ubiquitously?yet. I'm hopeful it will happen, though.

Supported Devices, Credit Cards, and Stores

To use Google Wallet in a brick-and-mortar store, you need one of the following Android devices: Galaxy Nexus (Sprint, AT&T, or T-Mobile), LG Viper (Sprint), LG Optimus (Sprint, Virgin Mobile), HTC EVO 4G (Sprint), Samsung Galaxy S3, Nexus 7.

When the Google Wallet mobile app first hit the scene, it only worked with a special prepaid Google card and one specific Citibank card. Now, you can enter the details of any credit or debit card with the known logos: MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express. You can also enter gift cards for some stores. The list of stores that use the required PayPass reader has grown since late last year, too, and now includes more than just gas stations and chain pharmacy marts. The list now includes Macy's, Peet's Coffee and Tea, The Container Store, and even New Jersey Transit (and many others, too).

The PayPass reader looks like a small plastic dish attached to a credit card reader at a checkout point (the self-swipe machine at every supermarket cashier). Transactions are swift. Shoppers don't waste time digging around for the right credit card. Clerks stand by while you manage the payment. What was that tag line again? Oh right: Pay and go.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/nx-qZVAkPvQ/0,2817,2393962,00.asp

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