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Google Wallet hasn’t exactly blow up into the mobile payment revolution as the few of us with NFC equipped devices would have hoped. But in a blog post today, Google is hoping to turn that around, announcing that they have purchased TxVia, a payments technology company, that will help kick Google Wallet into high gear. Well, higher gear anyway. Google didn’t mention exactly how much they bought up the New York-based company for, announcing only that:
“Today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve acquired payments technology company TxVia to complement our payments capabilities and accelerate innovation towards our full Google Wallet vision. TxVia is a technology pioneer that offers a fast, flexible and highly reliable payments platform—which we believe is one of the best in the world.”
TxVia has been known for their work with prepaid and giftcard technologies. Could this mean Google Play Store gift cards are in the… uh, cards (as Rob once suggested)? I can’t even tell you the amount of my friends/family who would never even consider purchasing a 99 cent app in the P-Store. Maybe soon, I’ll be able to purchase TSF Shell for my mother’s birthday.
why is SPB wallet being advertised with this post?
Perhaps because google adsesnse can read? ie targeted adverts; its a little thing google does.
It’s rumored the next iPhone will have NFC and payment technology. If Google is smart, they will start running a major multi-million dollar advertisement campaign all over TV, radio, print, etc… advertising their NFC and Google Wallet technology. Most people have no clue the technology exists.
Otherwise, Apple will roll this shit out with the next iPhone, it will certainly be a huge success, and the entire world will think Apple invented something new again. “Ohh look Apple invented paying with your iPhone.”
I’m not so sure Google would want to invest millions of dollars just so that they can claim “firsties” on NFC payments. =p
Personally, I don’t care who claims first, I just want it to be more widely implemented so that we can finally move to next gen NFC — embedding the chips in our foreheads and wrists O_o
It isn’t really about claiming “firsties.” Rather, it is about attaining new customers and retaining current Android users who are oblivious to the power and abilities of their Android device.
I kid you not, I know several people who switched from Android to iPhone 4S just for Siri. I’m like, “your Android phone already did that with Voice Actions!” They had no clue.
The same goes with the notification bar. Many iPhone users honestly believe Apple invented the pull down notification bar. They truly have no clue Android phones already had that.
If Google spent millions in effective advertising highlighting the full abilities of Android then maybe more people would switch to Android and stay on the platform as loyal users.
I agree with you. I really don’t understand Google’s lack of interest in advertising. i always thought they could market the Nexus as THE Android smartphone to combat iPhone and to give android a “face of the franchise” for lack of a better term.
“Everbody who matters” knows Google.
Google is an Internet advertising company.
They don’t want to spend money on ads in other mediums; to their “competitors” in competing mediums.
Just because they don’t want to spend money doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be beneficial.
“Eveybody that matters knows Google” sigh. That’s not how business works. Ask Sony how that worked out with playstation when xbox was just a “competitor.”
I mean they will be fine, but who wants to settle for fine.
People don’t buy operating systems. People buy phones. Google could spend millions advertising and the average consumer would be confused as all heck trying to figure out what phone they were talking about.
Apple’s advantage is that they sell a product: not an OS, not just hardware. They can tout iOS features as the phone’s features. Android hasn’t advertised the same way because they can’t really do that the same way. Android phone makes advertise what sets them apart from other phones in general, even other Android phones.
lol so i get to scan my forehead against the register to pay???
gahhh i love the way you think
yeah i agree. its nice when apple dumps cash into something, and i get to take advantage of it on my nexus, put the pride aside, and google can save their dollars to keep me having a better phone than the iSheep. apple can make it widely supported, and google can perfect it…. would any of us have a tablet if there was no ipad, wold the kFire be around?. would this site exist without the iphone? or would we all be using something like….
…this http://random.andrewwarner.com/what-googles-android-looked-like-before-and-after-the-launch-of-iphone/?
just saying, i wouldnt be butt-hurt if apple came out with an NFC schmi-phone and called it revolutionary, as long as they try to patent the tech lol
competition leads to innovation
that is true eventually IT WILL be on the wrist or on the forehead…. well written Chris (too bad it will be a sad day when that happens, but until then, lets get this thing going already eh)
Did u forget about Isis? NFC is all about the carriers.
The carriers will get behind Apple and implement any type of payment service Apple wants. Especially with all that money the carriers have invested in iPhones.
it doesnt matter what the carriers or apple does. if any of them blow up it will encourage merchants to install nfc terminals. the lack of nfc merchants and compatible phones is what is holding nfc back
I wonder if Google’s problems are based on their dedication to a vision of revenue derived from advertising and consumer information. What we buy with Google Wallet could generate indirectly all the revenue Google seeks. The problem is potential partners are not as intelligent or capable and demand a direct cut — leaving Google to go it alone in uncharted waters. Just a theory, but it would explain the apparent slow start of the project. If they ever succeed however, I would trust Google over any credit card company, and ironically merchants would get a better deal as well (less financial service fees).
MARK OF THE BEAST… NFC in your forehead. Awesome!!! Just wanted to point out that I got that since it doesn’t look like anyone else did. :)
I just want to know when the fuck google is going to actually add some credit/bank card options other then Citi……….
It’s not Google, I believe it’s MasterCard:
http://www.mastercard.us/get-a-paypass-card.html
The paypass.com website does tout Google Wallet: http://www.mastercard.us/paypass.html
oh, and as a side note, i would use the hell out of it if my CC was available. It’s extremely convenient and paypass is in a TON of locations now.
I used to not want to pay for apps, but then I took an arrow in the… oh wait… wrong meme. Anyway, I used to not want to pay for apps but then I decided that I wanted to support the developers that make the apps I use a lot. Because at least in my case, no paid app I’d want to use is more than $5. And (at least to me) what’s $5 to my overall budget? Nothing, that’s what. But to a developer, that’s their bread and butter. And it’s incentive to keep developing/improving/upgrading. So… ya. They can have my money.
As for NFC… BRING IT ON! I use Google Wallet to pay for my snacks at the 7-Eleven every Friday. I wish I could use it in more places and with my BoA credit card. Ah well. Baby steps.
I honestly don’t care about Google Wallet anymore. I got all excited about it when it first released but when I learned it was USA ONLY my excitement quickly turned to frustration.
Until they let people in Canada (and other countries) use the app, and I can’t honestly see ANY reason why they wouldn’t, the system won’t go anywhere. They’re creating their own failure for this.