In an ironic turn, Google is now partnering with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile to bring the Google Wallet mobile payment app to their Android phones later this year. Yes, those are the same carriers who made life pretty difficult for Google with their own competing mobile payment solution, Softcard (formerly called Isis). The real point of this deal: Wallet will be pre-installed on Android phones running Kit-Kat or higher, which makes it far more likely that people will actually use it. Sure, it feels as if we're in the mobile payments Twilight Zone -- Softcard was the main reason Google couldn't bring Wallet to every single Android phone. But now that Apple Pay is taking off (even the U.S. government wants in on the action), and Samsung is gearing up for its own wallet by buying LoopPay, Google has to do something to rev up its own mobile payment action. And that starts with making Google Wallet a default feature, rather than being an app people have to discover and install on their own.
As part of the deal, Google says it's acquiring some "exciting technology and intellectual property" from Softcard, but it's unclear what exactly that's referring to.
Developing...
Filed under: Mobile, Google, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
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