20/09/2011
By Scott Thompson
The much anticipated Google Wallet is now available in the US. The app allows customers to make purchases by tapping an NFC-equipped phone against a pay terminal.
The launch is limited to Citi bank accounts and its prepaid card and only accepted on MasterCard's PayPass terminals, although Visa has announced that Wallet users will also be able to pay where there's a Visa PayWave terminal installed.
“We’ve been testing it extensively, and today we’re releasing the first version of the app to Sprint. That means we’re beginning to roll out Google Wallet to all Sprint Nexus S 4G phones through an over-the-air update - just look for the “Wallet” app,” writes Osama Bedier, vice president of payments, on the Google blog.
“When we announced Google Wallet, we pledged a commitment to an open commerce ecosystem. We appreciate Citi and MasterCard for being our launch partners. And today, Visa, Discover and American Express have made available their NFC specifications that could enable their cards to be added to future versions of Google Wallet,” he adds. “Our goal is to make it possible for you to add all of your payment cards to Google Wallet, so you can say goodbye to even the biggest traditional wallets. This is still just the beginning, and while we’re excited about this first step, we look forward to bringing Google Wallet to more phones in the future.”
