If you didn’t see my post yesterday, the first thing you need to know is that Google Checkout is being replaced by Google Wallet. So, prepare yourself to update modules and api and codes, etc on your websites.
Second what you need to know is that this is directly connected to mobile marketing. This new technology developed by Google provides a fast way to pay by virtually replacing your credit cards.
All you have to do is tap your phone to pay with your credit card or wave it near a payment component wherever places are set up for it. (I mentioned mobile before, but it will effect your brick and mortar businesses too, because you’ll eventually have to adopt this technology.) Ah, progress!
They are touting it as a wallet you can lock, because you can password protect things on your phone. And then there are Google Rewards that will be synced to your account. More on this in another post.
If you want to know where all you can use this already here’s a link to page Google offers as a way to find out: http://www.google.com/wallet/where-it-works.html#in-store
It allows you to put in your zip code and find out who the merchants are who are capable of using Google Wallet. (There aren’t any in my general vicinity yet.)
But, the Single Tap Merchants they list include (in select locations, mind you):
- American Eagle Outfitters
- Banana Republic
- Bloomingdales
- Champs Sports
- The Container Store
- Foot Locker
- Gap
- Guess
- Jamba Juice
- Macy’s
- Office Max
- Old Navy
- Toys R Us
Tap and Pay Merchants include these heavy hitters, too:
- The Coca Cola Company
- CVS/Pharmacy
- Duane Reade
- Einstein Bros. Bagels
- Faber
- Jack In The Box
- Noah’s
- Peets Coffee & Tea
- Radio Shack
- Sports Authority
- Sunoco
- Walgreens
Tomorrow I’ll get into a bit more about how this works and what it means for your physical business as well as your mobile site. This will greatly impact mobile marketing and should be something all of us are learning about as our society embraces this new fangled contraption called Google Wallet.