Google Announces Major Push Into NFC Payments With Google Wallet

[hundleton1]

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Unless the card companies do something to sort small retailers out this wont change a thing in the UK, most wont accept a card payment below £10 or they charge a fee for the low transaction, last week a garrage tolb me that any transaction below £10 gets a £1.50 charge , i just walked out and kleft my stuff on the counter, how is this going to change with NF???, the handler is still going to charge the shop of the transaction.

unless they drop fees for low value transactions it wont change a thing in the uk.

Just FYI, the card agreement that vendors sign with the card companies in the US specifically rules this sort of behavior out. If you take Visa (for example), there's no minimum charge amount that you can charge.

But yes, many vendors have signs up that request minimum payment levels, but if a rep from Visa or Mastercard would walk in an see that sign, the vendor could lose their ability to take CCs altogether.

That's alot better, over here it's a nightmare, you can't buy anything under £5/£10 with out occurring a charge, it's a complete con.

 

[Žalgiris]

Dunno if you've been reading the news, but if you have an iphone, apple has been tracking you wherever you go. I tried it online with my iphone, and saw places i visited 2 years ago when I got my iPhone 3GS. Scary s***!

Really? I can say it's all bull, pal. It was recording locations of nearest GSM towers/wifi spots to better and faster get location when you actally need it (TomTom for example) and not your actual location (as in GPS coordinates).

I tested it myself in a location with no signal. If it was using GPS to track i would be able to see that using that app, but to no surprise the last point app showed was a tower about 25 KM from where i was.

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

Dunno if you've been reading the news, but if you have an iphone, apple has been tracking you wherever you go. I tried it online with my iphone, and saw places i visited 2 years ago when I got my iPhone 3GS. Scary s***!

I think you need to reread what Apple was doing.

 

[ChazUK]

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Dunno if you've been reading the news, but if you have an iphone, apple has been tracking you wherever you go. I tried it online with my iphone, and saw places i visited 2 years ago when I got my iPhone 3GS. Scary s***!

Really? I can say it's all bull, pal. It was recording locations of nearest GSM towers/wifi spots to better and faster get location when you actally need it (TomTom for example) and not your actual location (as in GPS coordinates).

I tested it myself in a location with no signal. If it was using GPS to track i would be able to see that using that app, but to no surprise the last point app showed was a tower about 25 KM from where i was.

Not only that, the location tracking bug was introduced with iOS 4.x which as far as I know, hasn't been out 2 years....

 

[darkslayer13]

Really? I can say it's all bull, pal. It was recording locations of nearest GSM towers/wifi spots to better and faster get location when you actally need it (TomTom for example) and not your actual location (as in GPS coordinates).

I tested it myself in a location with no signal. If it was using GPS to track i would be able to see that using that app, but to no surprise the last point app showed was a tower about 25 KM from where i was.

Well, I ran the app that was released from a backup on my computer the iPhone made and this is what I got. 100% accurately tracked everywhere I've been over the past 2 yrs. It should be noted that this is the zoomed out view, but I was also able to zoom in to see street-level details of my past locations.

 

[JAT]

NFC range is 25-30 cm, the screen has to be unlocked, an app executed an a pin typed to enable the system.

Wow, that is a lot of work. I thought NFC was supposed to be faster than cash/credit!?

Well, I ran the app that was released from a backup on my computer the iPhone made and this is what I got. 100% accurately tracked everywhere I've been over the past 2 yrs. It should be noted that this is the zoomed out view, but I was also able to zoom in to see street-level details of my past locations.

So, what are you hiding?

 

[ShiningShiny]

Using your phone instead of a credit card has been in Japan and S. Korea for the last several years.

Seeing how so many people are responding to this concept like it's some kind of pre-apocalyptic technological mistake just shows once again how cell phone technology in the States is so behind compared to that in Asia.

FaceTime/video call via cell phone? Japanese and Korean cell phones had those since 2007 (albeit probably not the same quality as the ones on iPhones). Watching T.V. on your phone? Japanese and Korean cell phones let you do that for free, and they had that years before we got our first pay-to-watch TV via cell phone.

Using your phone instead of using a credit card is another addition on the list.

People should also not freak out so much. If using your phone as a credit card has been safely implemented in other countries for the last 6+ years, I doubt there is any reason why it'll suddenly go awry when implemented into the States.

 

[rjohnstone]

A co-worker already had this happen with his credit card that has the built in chip- a number of his neighbors got their information stolen from a van that drove through the neighborhood at night and gathered data from cards (anyone have an American Express Blue), while people slept.

This is only going to make identity theft much much easier.

Stupid idea on behalf of Google and if Apple does it, same with them, unless they can absolutely positively guarantee all the information is secure and protected.

Complete and utter BS.

You have to be within a inches of the card to read it.
Driving around with a van scanning cards is impossible.

And yes, I have an Amex Blue card with the chip.
Works great, but 99% of the time you have to physically touch the reader with the card to get it to take.

 

[jettredmont]

Sounds cool...but too Orwellian for me. Ill keep my wallet, thanks

Not sure how NFC makes owning a credit card (or multiple such) any more Orwellian.

The NFC replaces swiping the card. The app replaces a wallet full of physical cards.

The only concern I have is that Google tends to "conveniently" sync a little too much up to "the cloud". I don't want a honeypot of credit card info sitting on Google's servers just waiting to be hacked a la Sony. I'd only buy into this if there was an ABSOLUTE guarantee that the card information is stored locally only and completely lost if I sync a new phone up to my account.

 

[John Dillinger]

Its only the start

What would I want this again?

What's wrong with just having a credit card?

... Google and the entire industry want this stuff to replace all cards...

So you can have your members cards... driving license.. ID everything.. think of the costs the companies will save having to mail you out replacements.. it will all be digital.

Further, regards security the system is obviously no less secure than chip and PIN.. otherwise the banks.. ie those that actually hold your money, would never sign up to the scheme. Think people

 

[John Dillinger]

Using your phone instead of a credit card has been in Japan and S. Korea for the last several years.

Seeing how so many people are responding to this concept like it's some kind of pre-apocalyptic technological mistake just shows once again how cell phone technology in the States is so behind compared to that in Asia.

FaceTime/video call via cell phone? Japanese and Korean cell phones had those since 2007 (albeit probably not the same quality as the ones on iPhones). Watching T.V. on your phone? Japanese and Korean cell phones let you do that for free, and they had that years before we got our first pay-to-watch TV via cell phone.

Using your phone instead of using a credit card is another addition on the list.

People should also not freak out so much. If using your phone as a credit card has been safely implemented in other countries for the last 6+ years, I doubt there is any reason why it'll suddenly go awry when implemented into the States.

Lol video calling was in Asia well before 2007.. heck...the N73 which I owned.. had video calling on Three network UK.. released in 2006. And that was over 3G...2011, better quality or not... still not on iPhone.

Basically.. sadly a lot of the posters on here dont seem to know about any tech not done by Apple.. because Apple obviously innovates eveythring and others just rip them off and need to be sued... stick it to em Apple!!

 

[ShiningShiny]

Lol video calling was in Asia well before 2007.. heck...the N73 which I owned.. had video calling on Three network UK.. released in 2006. And that was over 3G...2011, better quality or not... still not on iPhone.

Basically.. sadly a lot of the posters on here dont seem to know about any tech not done by Apple.. because Apple obviously innovates eveythring and others just rip them off and need to be sued... stick it to em Apple!!

Yeah, I mean I think Apple is just being smart, using PR to make something like FaceTime seem totally new and innovative, when really... it's kind of old news in other parts of the world.

It used to irk me a bit when I saw Apple always propaganda-ing stuff that was already invented in the Japanese/Korean phone market long before they made it as something "totally innovative, first made by Apple", but... Seeing all the consumers who blindly believe all that, all I gotta say is... Touche Apple, Touche, your PR iron fist is absolutely amazing.

 

[msimpson]

And then what?

OK, so all sheeple will be happy they can wave their cell phone around and pay for their double cappaccino vente bucket at starbucks, and then later when they want a RedBull they can wave it around it 7-Eleven. But after that, what is it good for? What can it do that a debit or credit card can't do? And more importantly will it be secure? The technology companies keep making up crap to sell us because they can't charge premium prices for commodity items - if it isn't new, then it is not important. But seriously, this is no major game changer like some companies would like you to believe.

 

[msimpson]

The Red Zone

Well, I ran the app that was released from a backup on my computer the iPhone made and this is what I got. 100% accurately tracked everywhere I've been over the past 2 yrs. It should be noted that this is the zoomed out view, but I was also able to zoom in to see street-level details of my past locations.

You need to get out more. Maybe take a trip to another state? Ever seen Mt Rushmore?

 

[Tilpots]

I'm excited for NFC payments! Not welcoming this technology is like longing for the days of the buggy and whip. Yeah, you're that guy. Boy was he wrong.

It's secure, convenient, and simple. No brainer, people, no brainer. Now we just have to get all the retailers and other credit card companies on board.

 

[Xenc]

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Awesome.

 

[darkslayer13]

You need to get out more. Maybe take a trip to another state? Ever seen Mt Rushmore?

Lol, funny. This is zoomed in to the state my college is located. I could have zoomed out to the world, but that would have defeated the point of showing that it tracked me in specific locations. Moron.

 

[kalex]

People need to stop spreadhing misinformation. All the security concerns were addressed during the presentation.

Everybody is bashing google yet when apple announces its own iNFC it will be treated as magical, blah blah.

It has been used in Japan and Korea for a while with no major issues so put away your tinfoil hats.

I for one find it convenient to use my phone to pay for stuff. Specially combined with google offers where I can get discounts, offers and everything else that goes along with it to automatically appear in my google wallet and get applied during purchases instead of clipping, printing and hunting coupons online.

As far as privacy issues, you are already being tracked all over the place. You are in 21st century, admit it, accept it and move on. As far as using cash goes, you'd be surprised how much they can track your cash. Every bill has a serial number so if you think that by paying cash u are not tracked you are in for a surprise

 

[maclaptop]

Now that Google has paved the way here in the US, perhaps Apple will follow. Or not.

 

[Dbrown]

lol at all the tinfoil hat wearing people saying nfc isnt secure. If it wasnt secure banks and credit card companies (you know, the ones who are on the hook when there are fraudulent charges on your account) wouldnt be on board. DUH!!!

 

[jboy12]

Its not cool until apple does it ill wait. Nothing can make me get an android

 

[jb1280]

I'm not optimistic about NFC payments at the moment for two main reasons.

First, there is probably a generational thing at play here. While by all accounts this will be very secure, I am uncertain that people of a certain age and who have grown accustomed to paying with plastic will be willing to move onto a new payment method.

Second, fragmentation. Google is doing its own thing, presumably to mine user data. Apple will do its own thing, presumably to leverage the huge number of iTunes accounts. The mobile carriers have their own interests, which probably run counter to Google or Apple. Finally, there is the question about Visa, MasterCard, as well as the banks who have their own interests.

 

[Piggie]

P As far as using cash goes, you'd be surprised how much they can track your cash. Every bill has a serial number so if you think that by paying cash u are not tracked you are in for a surprise

Are you mad

Cash is not tracked, it can't be. No one has access to the cash whilst it moved between individuals.
They may issue money with certain numbers to one area of the country, and at times, that money may find its way back into banks or places where is gets destroyed as it's becoming tatty.
But cash notes could go for years, through hundreds of transactions between people before anyone or anything, apart from the general public even see it, let along scan serial numbers.

 

[moore2772]

Won't be widespread

From Google's Google Wallet site:
Can I use Google Wallet with my phone?
Google Wallet with tap and pay will be compatible with Nexus S 4G by Google, available on Sprint®.
Sprint is a partner in the venture, so expect the service to stay there for the time being.

Also, given how many places now have PayPass that don't work, I think this system is going to lead to a lot of frustration. Barcode readers make more sense, a la Starbucks. No near field needed.

 

[ScottishDuck]

For those of you claiming that NFC is somehow insecure. Maybe you should look up the security of Chip+PIN or to be more specific, its complete lack of.