Google Wallet Sees Surge in Usage Alongside Apple Pay Launch

[SixtyK]

I must be imagining all the High End Games Consoles then.

You brought a console to a computer forum? That's adorable.

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I still don't see NFC/ApplePay taking off until the big retailer participates in it; Walmart...

Walmart has picked a fight with Apple and lost before... remember their music download service?

No?

Exactly.

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Being around and being used are two totally different things. I never saw a single person use NFC before Apple Pay. Not one. I see it all the time now. It's no coincidence.

I never saw a single person driving a Chevy Venture before I owned one. I see them all the time now. It doesn't mean more people are driving them, it means now that I own one, I'm more aware of them and more likely to notice them.

 

[Trapezoid]

Correction: "Lets be honest, before Apple Pay, no one with an iPhone knew about or used NFC."

Now it's correct.

And the real reason why NFC is gaining traction is because companies and customers are tired of having financial information stolen from old point-of-sale systems that have security vulnerabilities. Apple just happens to be in the right place at the right time.

The adoption of NFC and pin cards has been around long before Apple Pay.

I always find it amazing how apple is ALWAYS at the right place at the right time. Other companies should totally figure out how to do that. They might make some money.

 

[Bobby Corwen]

Sliders, touchscreens and apps were available well before the iPhone.
Oh, contrary to Apple folklore, you could get on the internet/surf on your cell phone years before the iPhone.

Just because you CHOOSE to IGNORE facts or history doesn't make your statement true.

Here's another true statement then:

Everyone else went out of business except Apple and the phones that tried to emulate exactly what Apple had.

 

[Piggie]

You brought a console to a computer forum? That's adorable.

.

A modern console is a pretty high powered computer.

Vastly more powerful than iPads etc

 

[spectrumfox]

I always find it amazing how apple is ALWAYS at the right place at the right time. Other companies should totally figure out how to do that. They might make some money.

Actually, Apple sat on NFC tech for iPhone for years before they finally pushed the button on it and decided to include it in the iPhone 6.

Don't you think it's funny how last Christmas we heard about Target and others whose POS systems were compromised, and now suddenly here's Apple Pay to save the day and usher in a new wave of NFC payments?

That's no coincidence. They're good at that. And most of the time, they hit their mark.

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Being around and being used are two totally different things. I never saw a single person use NFC before Apple Pay. Not one. I see it all the time now. It's no coincidence.

Companies have been steadily installing NFC-compatible point-of-sale machines throughout the year. It has almost nothing to do with the sudden presence of Apple Pay. That's the direction things were moving already. We're catching up to other countries that have been using NFC for much longer than we have.

Apple is wisely using their presence to take advantage of the situation that was already unfolding.

 

[Bobby Corwen]

Actually, Apple sat on NFC tech for iPhone for years before they finally pushed the button on it and decided to include it in the iPhone 6.

Don't you think it's funny how last Christmas we heard about Target and others whose POS systems were compromised, and now suddenly here's Apple Pay to save the day and usher in a new wave of NFC payments?

That's no coincidence. They're good at that. And most of the time, they hit their mark.

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Companies have been steadily installing NFC-compatible point-of-sale machines throughout the year. It has almost nothing to do with the sudden presence of Apple Pay. That's the direction things were moving already. We're catching up to other countries that have been using NFC for much longer than we have.

Apple is wisely using their presence to take advantage of the situation that was already unfolding.

Why do people always try to take away credit from Apple in every last crevice they can argue?

NFC can't happen without Apple, it still might not happen.

The fact we are behind is due to size, but just the fact we are behind shows nobody else was able to make it happen.

Now we have a chance, only with Apple. This wasn't already happening. It was failed dead in the water.

Now why do people twist things so much due to bias?

 

[spectrumfox]

Why do people always try to take away credit from Apple in every last crevice they can argue?

NFC can't happen without Apple, it still might not happen.

The fact we are behind is due to size, but just the fact we are behind shows nobody else was able to make it happen.

Now we have a chance, only with Apple. This wasn't already happening. It was failed dead in the water.

Now why do people twist things so much due to bias?

Why do people always try to give credit to Apple for technology they had no hand in creating?

NFC can definitely happen without Apple. It's happened in many other countries long before Apple Pay and iPhone 6's with NFC chips were a thing. It's also happened here in the U.S. since 2011 for companies that have adopted NFC technology.

I could buy a Big Mac at McDonalds, and then some Tums next door at CVS using an NFC-compatible Android device since 2011.

The only reason we as a country are behind are because of our credit card companies who don't want to give up the millions of fees they get per day from their customers who use their cards. But with all the recent breaches of POS systems in large corporations, there is now real incentive to do something about it and change the way transactions are done.

Now why do people twist things so much due to bias?

 

[KdParker]

Yap, Apple, magically knows what CC to use, they never store a number in their servers because elves pass them to the banks

Wouldn't call it elves. But we are talking about Apple Pay here.

 

[ChrisTX]

Makes perfect sense.

I can't believe that people with google wallet weren't using it before. I guess the saw all Apple pay users and wanted to start using it too.

Android saves the CC data at the server level could be a reason lots of people didn't jump in with google Wallet.

I think the lack of Google Wallet users is due to the lack of press surrounding the service. I don't think many Android users understand or know what it is. I'm sure many others don't know where it's accepted as a form of payment. I don't see many "Google Wallet" signs or "accepted here" stickers anywhere. Apple has done a better job advertising it's services.

 

[CEmajr]

Why do people always try to give credit to Apple for technology they had no hand in creating?

NFC can definitely happen without Apple. It's happened in many other countries long before Apple Pay and iPhone 6's with NFC chips were a thing. It's also happened here in the U.S. since 2011 for companies that have adopted NFC technology.

I could buy a Big Mac at McDonalds, and then some Tums next door at CVS using an NFC-compatible Android device since 2011.

The only reason we as a country are behind are because of our credit card companies who don't want to give up the millions of fees they get per day from their customers who use their cards. But with all the recent breaches of POS systems in large corporations, there is now real incentive to do something about it and change the way transactions are done.

Now why do people twist things so much due to bias?

No one is saying Apple created NFC. They usually never are the first to put new tech in their devices. They're just usually the first to do it "right".

We're not talking about the rest of the world, we're talking about the US and in the US NFC has largely been an afterthought until now. The fact that Apple Pay has brought mass consumer awareness to the feature to the point where even Google's own service (which has been around for years) is also finally gaining traction just goes to show how significant Apple adopting NFC is for the technology. Also the CC companies are still collecting fees when we use Apple Pay. That's why some of the merchants have turned against NFC because they don't want to pay fees to the CC companies.

I'm sure you could use internet on a smartphone before Apple, but I'd bet that whatever phone you're using now is based off of the design Apple released in 2007 and pretty much all those companies that were making "smartphones" before then are dead now.

You could use tablets before the iPad, how well did those work out?

And we all know about how amazing MP3 players were before the iPod.

So yes the NFC technology has been included in Android phones for years, no one denied that. It just was sparsely used with the bulk of Android owners not even realizing they could make payments with their phones. The few who were aware of the NFC chip just thought it was something that allowed them to bump their Galaxy phones together to share files. Blame Google and the Android vendors for their poor marketing of the feature. It's no coincidence that NFC is finally gaining traction in the US now that Apple finally decided to include it in their phones.

 

[Trapezoid]

Actually, Apple sat on NFC tech for iPhone for years before they finally pushed the button on it and decided to include it in the iPhone 6.

Don't you think it's funny how last Christmas we heard about Target and others whose POS systems were compromised, and now suddenly here's Apple Pay to save the day and usher in a new wave of NFC payments?

That's no coincidence. They're good at that. And most of the time, they hit their mark.

Yes. They are. I haven't seen anyone argue against that. Apple makes things popular. That's what many are saying in this thread. So what's your argument?

Companies have been steadily installing NFC-compatible point-of-sale machines throughout the year. It has almost nothing to do with the sudden presence of Apple Pay. That's the direction things were moving already. We're catching up to other countries that have been using NFC for much longer than we have.

The US has had plenty of NFC enabled terminals in stores for years. Please do not act like two weeks ago companies started going crazy in the US installing NFC terminals to accomodate Apple Pay. The truth of the matter is, NFC has been available as an option both in the US and overseas for years, and barely any one has been using it in the US or overseas (relatively speaking when compared to all other forms of payment). Fact.

Apple is wisely using their presence to take advantage of the situation that was already unfolding.

Apple is going to make NFC payments a popular method of payment.

Why do people always try to give credit to Apple for technology they had no hand in creating?

Who said Apple created NFC?

NFC can definitely happen without Apple. It's happened in many other countries long before Apple Pay and iPhone 6's with NFC chips were a thing. It's also happened here in the U.S. since 2011 for companies that have adopted NFC technology.

The technology has been there for years. No one has been really using it. I can't understand why that's so difficult to understand. The US wasn't lagging behind in NFC usage. In fact, it was about par with the rest of the world (again in usage of NFC as a payment method)

I could buy a Big Mac at McDonalds, and then some Tums next door at CVS using an NFC-compatible Android device since 2011.

So could millions upon millions of other people. They didn't though. Apple Pay is making it popular.

The only reason we as a country are behind are because of our credit card companies who don't want to give up the millions of fees they get per day from their customers who use their cards. But with all the recent breaches of POS systems in large corporations, there is now real incentive to do something about it and change the way transactions are done.

We as a country are not really behind. The US is relatively the same as far as NFC usage is concerned as compared to the rest of the world. See the charts I posted earlier for proof of this.

Now why do people twist things so much due to bias?

I don't know. Why are you twisting the fact that Apple is going to make NFC popular by saying they didnt create NFC?

 

[pietrov]

Somebody always around the corner copying good ideas...

 

[JackieInCo]

I could buy a Big Mac at McDonalds, and then some Tums next door at CVS using an NFC-compatible Android device since 2011.

I've owned a Nexus 4 and 7 for two years now but have never used NFC on either device to buy anything with. I only used it to transfer files between the two devices.

I don't know anyone who owns an Android phone who even talks about their phone having that ability and they may not even know about it.

 

[BvizioN]

For what?
Having NFC disabled on thousands of pay terminals thanks to Apple Pay and their intrusive methods to force a payment method.

No. For reminding these Android users that there is a feature on their phone that they weren't aware of until Apple Pay. As this article clearly suggests.

 

[Oletros]

Wouldn't call it elves. But we are talking about Apple Pay here.

Yap, and the only way that Apple doesn't store the CC in their servers is because elves put them on the iPhones

 

[Trapezoid]

I've owned a Nexus 4 and 7 for two years now but have never used NFC on either device to buy anything with. I only used it to transfer files between the two devices.

I don't know anyone who owns an Android phone who even talks about their phone having that ability and they may not even know about it.

No one uses it. These anecdotes on forums are not reflected in the numbers by any means.

 

[samcraig]

A simple google search (ironically) will tell you why Google Wallet was never made into a huge deal and why Apple Pay is succeeding where Google Wallet did not.

It's the marketing engine behind it. Apple negotiated in such a way that they are making money on every transaction that Apple Pay is used for. They have a vested interest that is directly financial.

Google's model was different. You can argue they make money from targeted ads, but I don't think the incentive was quite there for Google to go all media blitz on Google Wallet. Further - Google Wallet had to fight the major carriers for adoption (much like the NFC/MCX battle here). For a long time, Google Wallet wasn't available on many phones because the carriers were fumbling around looking to get their hand into the mix.

Here's an article from last year that sums it up

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-06/google-wallet-is-leaking-money

For Google, the goal wasn’t to generate fee revenue from the transactions, as banks, PayPal (EBAY), and other companies do. The idea was to collect data on consumer habits and target ads to them. Google pays such high fees to the credit-card companies it works with, though, that it loses money on every transaction, says Osama Bedier, who stepped down as head of Wallet on May 20 and will shortly leave the company.

Also

After two years, most consumers still can’t use the app. Of the four largest U.S. wireless companies, only Sprint Nextel (S) supports it. Verizon Wireless, AT&T (T), and T-Mobile USA (DTE:GR) block Wallet on their phones and have teamed up to develop their own software, called Isis. MCX, a consortium of retailers including Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Target (TGT), is also working on a similar app.

 

[TimelessOne]

Not surprised by this. It means more places turn on their ncf. The other issue Google wallet runs into is the carriers block Google wallet ncf from working if you have a carrier branded phone.
Apple more than likely are going to help break carrier control.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

I think this statement is one of the most unchecked facts on forums everywhere. If you took the word of people without actually checking the facts, you'd believe the entire galaxy was using NFC and the USA was using antiquated crippled technology that no one even remembers.

Of course, when you ask the question you get the real answer, and that is that NFC as a method of payment is about as insignificant a blip on the global scale that it might as well not be happening. Yes, there are NFC terminals available all over the world. No, they are not being used everywhere in huge quantities.

The graphs below (posted by kdarling) tell the real story and not the "The USA is so far behind it's laughable, the entire world is already using it" story.

Image

Image

Can we stop pretending the entire universe except for the USA is paying with NFC? It's not. Apple Pay is what will drive those numbers up. Period.

Given that the US is the worlds largest economy by a long way, unless your pretty little pictures show the PROPORTIONAL rate (by country) of NFC use you're wasting your time.

UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and parts of Western Europe is probably what people mean when saying "everyone except the US is using NFC".

In my country, I have no option but to use "pin and chip" and when the retailers changed over to this, almost every single one also went to NFC as well. The ones that didn't now have a small standalone NFC reader.

So yea, unless you can tell us what proportion of transactions in Canada vs the US are done with NFC stop trying to make claims...raw dollar amounts are absolutely meaningless for this discussion.

 

[Trapezoid]

Given that the US is the worlds largest economy by a long way, unless your pretty little pictures show the PROPORTIONAL rate (by country) of NFC use you're wasting your time.

UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and parts of Western Europe is probably what people mean when saying "everyone except the US is using NFC".

In my country, I have no option but to use "pin and chip" and when the retailers changed over to this, almost every single one also went to NFC as well. The ones that didn't now have a small standalone NFC reader.

So yea, unless you can tell us what proportion of transactions in Canada vs the US are done with NFC stop trying to make claims...raw dollar amounts are absolutely meaningless for this discussion.

First, it's not my "pretty little pictures", those were posted by kdarling. Second, here you go...proportions:

http://www.statista.com/statistics/218615/mobile-payment-methods-used-on-smartphones/

You got any "pretty little pictures" to dispute that? You can browse that site for more stats if you want to see some more pretty little pictures

Again, lets stop the "omg the entire milky way galaxy uses nfc except the US".

Incidentally, I'm open to see your pretty little pictures that prove your point. Got any?

 

[moderately]

^^ this. I recently used google pay to ship flowers and it not only tracks all my transactions but did a great job tying in the shipment tracking and what not into my phone so I was very well informed as to when my smile was delivered

Of course it tracks all your transactions.

 

[bawbac]

Everyone else went out of business except Apple and the phones that tried to emulate exactly what Apple had.

Wow. There's no help for you other than intervention and treatment.

 

[Bobby Corwen]

Wow. There's no help for you other than intervention and treatment.

What? Why?

Which one made it? Which one survived? Palm? Symbian? Sidekick? ...Blackberry? Windows?

Do you understand the statement? Its just basic historical fact...

 

[pdqgp]

Of course it tracks all your transactions.

I don't care if it does. Have zero problem with that. Everyone's banks, credit cards, stores, etc. track your transactions.

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A third party having information about personal purchases might sometimes be an issue? I admit that it is not ALWAYS an issue but there it is.

I see that but every time consumers use a loyalty card/credit card the details of your transactions are more often than not transmitted to other parties. Heck, every time you click on the web it's sending data somewhere.

 

[Bobby Corwen]

I don't care if it does. Have zero problem with that. Everyone's banks, credit cards, stores, etc. track your transactions.

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I see that but every time consumers use a loyalty card/credit card the details of your transactions are more often than not transmitted to other parties. Heck, every time you click on the web it's sending data somewhere.

I think when we talk about "security" the important stuff that matters is logistical stuff.

Its not safer because they don't send a bunch of data into a computer processor that no human will ever have access to or see in any way that is a threat to losing money out of your bank account.

By and large the thing to worry about are humans in your midst.

What makes Apple pay more secure is they can't just steal your credit card and swipe it at the gas station or whatever. Its not physical. It can't be found in the garbage amongst your mail, and it can't be easily noticed in your wallet.

Most of that encryption stuff is a sales pitch because that was never a real threat to me or anyone personally if we are being realistic.