Google Wants To Be Your Bank, Too

from the Gpal?-G-Money? dept

Is there anything Google won't eventually launch on its own? There were some random rumors earlier this week that Google was working on their own iTunes-type offering, but now the Wall Street Journal and Reuters are reporting that Google is getting close to launching a PayPal-wannabe payment system, nicknamed Google Wallet (not quite as fun as "G-Money" would be). The rumor is based on a panel discussion where an e-commerce consultant said some of his clients had been approached by Google about using such a system. Of course, Yahoo had their own PayPal wannabe for a while, called PayDirect, that they eventually shut down after no one used it. Even eBay had their own PayPal wannabe that no one used before buying PayPal. Despite that, Google certainly seems to be pretty good at getting people to adopt their offerings -- and if they can really improve on the PayPal experience, a lot of pent-up frustration directed at PayPal could drive plenty of users to the Google solution. Just one more step down the path for Google to be competing directly with eBay, apparently.
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  1. identicon
    davidj, 18 Jun 2005 @ 7:00am

    G-Money

    GMoney got a good laugh out of me. That would be the awesomest name.

    I love google. I love their search, their maps, their gmail, and other things too. I keep hearing of more and more things that they 'may or may not' get into and it makes me nervous. I would think that unless there was some serious money coming back in my pocket instead of going to theirs that any attempt to be paypal will fail by anybody. I don't know why google would want to even try.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    dorpus, 18 Jun 2005 @ 11:29am

    You mean you don't use other people's banks?

    When you go to stores, you don't look over the shoulders of computer-illiterate types to read their credit card numbers at the cash register?

    Or you could wear sunglasses, carry a white cane, and use pocket binoculars to do the same, because you "need" the binoculars to see.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Cornerstone, 18 Jun 2005 @ 2:03pm

    No Subject Given

    Microsoft had a similar payment system to the proposed Google Wallet, which was shut down after several very expensive promotions failed to establish it as a viable alternative to Paypal.

    It was called MSN Wallet.

    That Google sho is thinkin' fo itself these days.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    TJ, 18 Jun 2005 @ 5:27pm

    Good for them

    Once eBay bought Paypal, the list of things one can pay for with it would probably be shorter than the list of things one can't. That combined with a seemingly large number of horror stories about frozen accounts and getting customer support makes me glad that Google will be entering the market.

    Not only will Google be likely to try to be more reasonable to protect their 'do no evil' brand, but it seems they would have enough clout to force PayPal to actually compete and perhaps provide better service. Once Google does this, surely Google auctions is one of the next steps.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Greg Nelson, 19 Jun 2005 @ 5:24am

    Strategic Focus?

    As the first post stated, I would be worried about why google is attempting to do soo many things at once. It's not possible to be the best of everything. I've read that 90%+ of their income comes from ad revenue.

    After their initial offering, I would think it would be hard for google to maintain an accross the board competitive advantage for it's new offerings.

    Perhaps they could built up a small stable of core projects and then flipped them out and made a bit of cash. Otherwise I would think they would be diluting their brand, unless they could keep some central theme, like Virgin.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Yeabut, 19 Jun 2005 @ 10:09am

    Re: Strategic Focus?

    Good point, but who the hell knows? These guys are obviously smarter than most.

    Maybe their whole strategy is to simply do everything everyone else has already done before, but in a way that takes a long term approach to what's good for the user.

    AOL has previously tried to do everything Google is doing, but these efforts always came with an unasked for icon like "Get $$$ to refer Friends!" and other tray barnacles. Google never shoves this crap down your throat.

    Not to mention that Paypal IS expensive and IS operating in a virtual competitive vacuum.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    eric, 19 Jun 2005 @ 2:39pm

    Re: G-Money

    You're right, it's great name and i like it too. So good, it has already been taken. :(
    gmoney.com
    :E

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    no tinfoilhats please, 19 Jun 2005 @ 3:54pm

    No Subject Given

    google has direct links to [redacted]. Google monitors and stores emails. Google monitors and stores searches. Google monitors and stores map requests. Google has full world satellite coverage. Google can soon monitor and store financial transactions. The only thing left for a complete monitoring system is telephony. Watch for google voip.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    gadgetophile, 19 Jun 2005 @ 9:51pm

    One way...

    Offer EBay a cut of any G-money transactions that are initiated from EBay (via some direct link button).

    Would cost Google very little (once G-money expands beyond EBay), and would give EBay money for nothing.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Kartik, 20 Jun 2005 @ 8:40am

    Re: One way...

    I can see how linking g-mail with google wallet would create a nice seamless product. electronically send mail and money, all using the same interface. count on google coming up with a stategy that creates a strong demand for it's service, just like they did with g-mail. also, look for google to enter the retail market, either with music and/or video and use its payment service to facilitate transactions.

    I think this is a good entry point for google wallet because paypal will be discontinuing their bill pay service in august, which for many of us is a feature that's really important.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    tee hee, 20 Jun 2005 @ 12:55pm

    Re: One way...

    From LinkedIn:

    Hugh Olliphant
    Currently: Group Product Manager at PayPal
    Past: CEO at gMoney Corporation; Oracle; Putnam Hayes and Bartlett

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    emmanuel, 1 Jul 2005 @ 7:43pm

    google wallet

    Google is just gearing up before launching their new "Google Store" ...
    • 1) Free hosting
    • 2) Free stats (Urchin)
    • 3) Online payment easy to set up (Google wallet)
    • 4) Feeds already set for Froogle
    • 5) Free �20 voucher for adwords
    Emmanuel

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    James, 1 Apr 2006 @ 1:02pm

    Where do I sign up? I have had it with Paypal which I see as both an unregulated and irresponcible company whose transaction charges are outrageous. Goodluck Google! I'll be your first customer.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    go google!, 29 May 2006 @ 6:00pm

    WHEN?!?!?!

    OMG! This could not happen soon enough. PayPal is hell and I really want to tell them where to put it! Hurry up Google Wallet, you can not be to soon to save the day.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    johnny b, 10 Jun 2006 @ 7:36am

    GO google 2 HELL WITH PAYPAL

    Paypal Has been screwing evryone with their captive type payment services for too long. 3% + a transaction fee,,,They are the NEW MOB - TONY SOPRANO would be in Jail for such theivery.
    I WILL GIVE ALL MY TRANSACTIONS TO GOOGLE , thats about 20 thousand transactions a year... CANT WAIT GO GOOGLE

    P.S YOU KNOW PAYPAL WILL NOW OFFER A VOLUME TEIRED DICOUNT TO TRY AND RETAIN THE VOLUME CUSTOMERS , PAYPAL TO LITTLE TOO LATE....

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    JOHNNIE B, 10 Jun 2006 @ 7:40am

    Re: G-Money

    YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH PAYPAL IN VOLUME TO REALIZE THEY SCREW YOU ONLY BECAUSE THEY MONOPOLIZE ON EBAY. ALL THEIR CONVEINENT PAY BILLS TYPE PROGRAMS LIST IS NOW MINIMAL WHICH AT ONE TIME WAS SO NICE BUT COMPAIES LIKE SBC ETC ARENT GOING TO BE HAMMERED BY THE NEW MAFIA PAYPAL AS CROOKED AS CAN BE !

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    subscriptions, 29 Jun 2006 @ 11:47am

    Subscription/Recurring payments

    No out of box buttons....appears to require an api implementation to handle subscriptions.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    shankar, 14 Aug 2006 @ 7:37am

    i want to know what is google wallet and how it work

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    Clive, 14 Jun 2007 @ 10:58pm

    check out Google Checkout!!!!

    Well if you haven't found it yet here it is:
    http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=google+checkout&btnG=Search&meta=

    At this point it's still a little secret and NOT on the Google Labs directory.

    Thanks Google!!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    brigitte.caschera, 29 Oct 2007 @ 4:03am

    Re: Strategic Focus?

    greg,here is your mother in law,is that your STRATEGIC FOCUS to block all my messages and take your wife and MY DAUGHTER julia awy from me?????????? that is nor FAIR!!!!!!!!!!!

    link to this | view in thread ]


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