Bravo Google Wallet

I’m a huge fan of Google.

Their technical innovation, ever improving user interfaces and attitude towards developing cool stuff is just awesome. I totally buy their views towards speed and open standards.

I know they know absolutely everything about me, though I don’t really mind. After all, what can I do except click the increasingly targeted ads they serve me?

Their latest innovation – GoogleWallet – is, as a good friend of mine put it, “Brilliant. Just Brilliant.”

Apart from its obvious advantages to consumers, it is a deft move against Apple and its iPhone, as well as simultaneously frightening the bejesus of out of the physical wallet making industry.

Let me quickly explain

I wouldn’t normally write a blog that wasn’t about web design or web development, so I’ll keep it short.

GoogleWallet allows you to load your existing credit cards (e.g. Visa) onto the GoogleWallet application which sits on your Google Android phone.

Compatible with the Visa PayPass where you would ‘tap’ or ‘wave’ your compatible Visa card to make a purchase, with GoogleWallet, you ‘tap’ or ‘wave’ your Android phone instead.

As clever as that sounds, it is just the tip of GoogleWallet.

In addition to loading your credit cards, you also load your store loyalty cards and any compatible coupons you might have.

So, let’s say I am a loyal customer of say French Connection. I receive an email from them offering me a 30% off coupon on everything in-store next Saturday.

I load the coupon onto into GoogleWallet, where my French Connection loyalty card and my Visa card are already saved.

I go in-store, I grab two T-Shirts.

I swipe my GoogleWallet; the coupon is applied, my loyalty card is credited and my Visa card debited; if I don’t have enough on my first Visa card, GoogleWallet will debit what it can and then attempt to debit the balance from the second and third and fourth credit cards I have loaded into GoogleWallet.

All this happens simultaneously. Tap and go.

Bam.

Obviously, I can see a history of my transactions on my phone and the rest, and commensurate to say, my data will be used to funnel better offers and coupons to me all of which I’ll pay on my GoogleWallet.

And before you ask, yes it’s secure and all that; much more secure than having a physical credit card on you.

Carrying a wallet is a pain. The only card I use is my credit card.

I always carry my phone.

With GoogleWallet, I nail two birds with one stone.

“Brilliant. Just Brilliant.”