The new mobile payment system by Google that was scheduled to release this summer is out to the public, and if you use MasterCard or Visa and have a Nexus S, Google Wallet is ready for you to spend your hard earned cash in the most techy way possible. Payment is made easy by opening the new “Wallet” app and swiping the smartphone, which is most likely already glued to the palm of your hand, at the checkout.
I know all of us forget our wallets on a regular basis, but how often do we forget our precious smartphones? Never. Our phone is always on us. Paying with a phone has to be the most convenient thing to come to this market since the cell phone itself. No more need to fumble around in the back pocket and search and search for the correct card. Just swipe the phone. If Google can figure out a legal way to keep a drivers license on the phone, the old school leather wallet will be no more.
Unfortunately the service only works with Sprint’s Nexus S 4G. What this means for the service is out in the open. For now, it’s not good. Google needs to expand this to every phone running on the Android platform, which I’m sure is coming. After all, Google Wallet was just released this week.
Having Credit Cards readily available on your cell phone is a calling (pun intended) for all thieves. Instead of snatching wallets, they will be snooping for phones. Identity Theft is a big deal already and this new payment system may make it a bit easier for it to happen. Hopefully Google has some good security features bundled in the “wallet”.
This new way to pay is obviously a big step towards the future of spending. Whether you buy into it, or trust it, is up to you. Will you use Google Wallet? Would you use a similar feature on the iPhone? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Ryan Bates 