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Visa Jumps Onboard The Google Wallet Bandwagon

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Yesterday we told you about Google unveiling and making active their new NFC based payment system for the Nexus S 4G on Sprint. Pretty big news with both Citi and Mastercard immediately jumping on board. Unfortunately, Visa was one of the key players left out of the bunch. Thankfully today, Visa has announced they will be joining “team Google Wallet” by making their debit, credit and prepaid cards linkable to Google’s new service. Now all that’s left is Discover and American Express who currently have yet to send in their “NFC specifications” to Google. Check out Visa’s full press release below.

Visa and Google Sign Licensing Deal to Boost Mobile Payment Adoption

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Visa Inc., Visa Europe and Google today announced that Google has received a worldwide license to Visa payWave, an innovative NFC-based payment technology. Visa payWave enables consumers to make fast and secure payments at retail locations by waving their mobile phone in front of a payment terminal and is currently accepted at hundreds of thousands of retail locations worldwide.

“This agreement extends Google Wallet to Visa account holders worldwide”

The agreement sets the stage for Visa-issuing banks worldwide to enable Visa account holders to add their credit, debit and prepaid accounts to Google Wallet – a mobile application that turns a smart phone into a digital wallet. This is the latest effort by Visa and Google to simplify the consumer shopping experience by enabling them to make mobile payments using their mobile phones.

“Mobile technology is transforming how people pay for goods and services,” said Jim McCarthy, global head of product, Visa Inc. “This agreement builds on Visa’s strategy of enabling consumers to make mobile payments with whatever device they choose using the trusted accounts they already have.”

“This agreement extends Google Wallet to Visa account holders worldwide,” said Stephanie Tilenius, vice president of Commerce and Payments at Google. “This is a crucial step towards realizing our shared vision for the future of mobile commerce – one that creates a rich shopping experience for consumers and merchants alike.”

Today’s news furthers Visa’s progress in making its products available as a payment option in any digital wallet. This includes Visa’s own digital wallet announced earlier this year which is designed to provide consumers with “click-to-buy” payment functionality and access to their Visa and non-Visa accounts using a personal computer or smart phone, to make purchases online and at retail locations.

Google Wallet is designed to enable an open commerce ecosystem enabling consumers to carry payment cards, offers, loyalty and gift cards — and eventually much more. Google is also working with top retail brands to create a new mobile shopping experience.

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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13 Comments

  1. You jelly now Justin and Angel? ;D

    1. yeah… its nerd rage time

  2. So are all Visa users able to use this (assuming they have a NFC phone)? Because this wording,

    “The agreement sets the stage for Visa-issuing banks worldwide to enable Visa account holders to add their credit, debit and prepaid accounts to Google Wallet”

    makes me think otherwise. It will still be up to the individual banks to allow this. I’m sure BoA will be the last to allow it since that is the bank I use.

  3. Again, yippy for those with the only phone this works on.

  4. and here i am still waiting for that update to push

    1. you can download it from xda

      1. i will go look for it. thank you

    2. Got my OTA install prompt this morning.

  5. If only this worked in Norway…
    =(

  6. Don’t the Bank now have to accept Google Wallet as well as the carrier….?

  7. can google rush and make it available to all google nexus s?!

  8. I’ve been working on a mobile payment solution for a little while now (http://www.totaltab.com -almost in beta!) which allows consumers to pay their restaurant / bar tab from their phones.

    I honestly am kinda excited about Google Wallet anyway, and I will use it. That said, I think that the true future of payment is consumer initiated self-checkout. It’s the 21st century. It’s ridiculous to have to wait in a line, anywhere, to pay for anything. Get your crap. Pay on your phone. Walk out the door. That’s where it’s really at!

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