"Google Wallet" entries

Commerce Weekly: Square’s big moves

Square gets a bigger office, embraces Canada and plans to double its staff. Also, PayPal Here, Isis, Apple and Google Wallet news.

Here are a few stories that caught my attention in the commerce space this week.

Square gets international, plans major growth; PayPal Here hits retail

Square made a couple of big move announcements this week. First, the company literally will move to a new office space in the Central Market area of San Francisco by mid-2013, according to a report by Leena Rao at TechCrunch. Rao notes that the company has grown to more than 400 employees and reports Square plans to expand its staff to almost 1,000 people before the end of 2013.

Square also announced this week that its service is now available in Canada, at the same 2.75% rate it charges in the U.S., according to a report by Ingrid Lunden at TechCrunch. Lunden reports one of the obstacles for Square in Canadian as well as European markets is that its dongle depends on the magnetic stripe on the backs of credit cards; many credit card processes in these markets use a chip-and-pin system instead.

The obstacle isn’t insurmountable, however, as Lunden notes, Square’s partnership with Starbucks to incorporate its Pay With Square app service as a mode of payment might pave the way forward with retailers in other markets, making the card processing format irrelevant.

Square competitor PayPal Here was on the move this week as well — into retail shopping. Rao reports in a separate post at TechCrunch that PayPal CEO John Donahoe announced a U.S. retail deal with AT&T during eBay’s earning call this week. PayPal Here previously had a retail presence only in Japan with Softbank. Rao reports that Here will retail for $15, with the purchaser receiving a $15 discount upon signing up; Square is sold in 20,000 outlets in the U.S. and sells for $10, with a $10 purchaser sign-up discount, Rao reports.

Read more…

Commerce Weekly: Google Wallet vs Apple Passbook

Google gears up to compete with Apple, a look at the effect of technology on currency, and a wallet competition roundup.

Here are a few stories from the commerce space that caught my attention this week.

Google prepares its Wallet to compete with iOS 6

Robin Dua, Google’s head of product management for Google Wallet, participated in a video interview (embedded below) this week to talk about Wallet features and plans. Technology reporter Cromwell Schubarth notes in a post at Silicon Valley Biz Blog that the future plans for Google Wallet look a lot like Apple’s newly announced Passbook that’s due to release in iOS 6 this fall. Schubarth quotes Dua:

“‘One of the types of things we’re trying to do is make it easy for airlines, transit providers, and other types of issuers of credentials to make it super simple for them to get their credentials stored in the wallet,’ Dua said. ‘That’s the goal. We want you to be able to leave your leather wallet at home and carry your phone and transact with that as your primary transaction device.”

Dua said they plan for the Wallet to hold credit cards, loyalty cards, IDs and things like boarding passes and transit passes. Very much like Apple’s description of Passbook.

Read more…

Commerce Weekly: Another mobile wallet is on the way

Isis Mobile Wallet is coming this summer, Canada gets its first mobile wallet, and NFC benefits may trump privacy concerns.

Isis announces Mobile Wallet partners and a rollout plan, Rogers Communication and CIBC partner to bring a mobile wallet to Canada, and a look at the theoretical benefits of NFC. (Commerce Weekly is produced as part of a partnership between O'Reilly and PayPal.)

Commerce Weekly: The do’s and don’ts of geo marketing

The evolution of geofences, Google Wallet's departures, and mobile carriers vs Facebook.

Placecast's CEO describes layers of context that make for rich, geo-targeted messages. Also, talent flees Google Wallet, and Facebook's IPO may make life harder for mobile carriers. (Commerce Weekly is produced as part of a partnership between O'Reilly and PayPal.)

Commerce Weekly: The do's and don'ts of geo marketing

The evolution of geofences, Google Wallet's departures, and mobile carriers vs Facebook.

Placecast's CEO describes layers of context that make for rich, geo-targeted messages. Also, talent flees Google Wallet, and Facebook's IPO may make life harder for mobile carriers. (Commerce Weekly is produced as part of a partnership between O'Reilly and PayPal.)

Commerce Weekly: Google defends its Wallet

Google responds to Wallet concerns, Buck enters the one-click fray, and Adele snubs freeloaders.

Google calmly responds to concerns about its Wallet application, yet another one-click payment method emerges, and Adele fans won't be using Spotify. (Commerce Weekly is produced as part of a partnership between O'Reilly and PayPal.)

Commerce Weekly: Verizon drops Google Wallet

Mobile payment fragmentation, swipe-and-pay lives up to its name, and Starbucks plays with augmented reality.

Telecom's resistance hints at more mobile payment fragmentation, criminals take the "swipe" part of "swipe-and-pay" literally, and Starbucks uses augmented reality to create a viral marketer's dream. (Commerce Weekly is produced as part of a partnership between O'Reilly and PayPal.)

Commerce Weekly: Google juices its Wallet

Google boosts Wallet's capabilities while PayPal powers eBay's earnings.

If you own a Nexus S 4G and Google Wallet you've now got more ways to pay and save. Also, eBay's commerce channels boost the company's Q3 revenue. (Commerce Weekly is produced as part of a partnership between O'Reilly and PayPal.)

ePayments Week: Google Wallet debuts

Google Wallet launches on the Nexus 4G, consumers not yet interested in mobile payment, and a new look at Android users.

Owners of Samsung's Nexus 4G on Sprint are the first to get Google's NFC-powered mobile wallet. Also, a new survey finds most Americans don't want mobile payment (yet), and a new batch of insights on Android users.