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Google Wallet has been one of the most promising contributions from Google. It may not be as exciting as a hot new Nexus device or a new Android version, but it promises to change out lives and the way consumers… consume. The idea of replacing physical wallets, money and cards with a smartphone seems to fit perfectly with the way mobile technology is moving. The few of us that have adopted it are loving it, and Google has great plans for the future, but Google has seen a imminent threat rising all along.
Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have been working together on an NFC mobile payment solution known as ISIS. This would not be an issue if carriers and ISIS had a more open mentality about competition, but carriers have been blocking Google’s service. Sprint and AT&T have been a bit more flexible, but other carriers have forced users to opt for workarounds to be able to use Google Wallet. Especially Verizon, which claims Google Wallet brings security concerns.
Hands-on with Google Wallet
ISIS Commercial
This, along with the fact that NFC is still slowly being adopted by manufacturers and users, has been slowing down Google Wallet adoption. But Google is still going full-speed ahead on the project. Osama Bedier, VP of Wallet and Payments at Google, has recently addressed the issue at a conference. He briefly addresses that NFC payments is still much better for the future, compared to Apple’s brand new Passbook.
Bedier goes on to mention that Google plans to become more ubiquitous in the mobile payment market, and such could be accomplished in 3-5 years. The only problem is carriers, who have been giving Google a hard time.
In general, we will work with the carriers on multiple fronts. We haven’t yet seen eye-to-eye on a mobile wallet solution. We would like to see a more open model. -Osama Bedier
As Android enthusiasts, nothing would make us happier than to see Google Wallet succeed. The service has gone a long way since its launch. It now supports all 4 major credit cards, whereas before one could only use Citi Mastercard or Google’s prepaid cards. Security breaches have been addressed quickly and with caution. NFC has started to become a standard for new Android devices. I say we are ready to make some changes, Google.
The service has evolved enough to warrant its success, the only thing stopping it is adoption and carriers. ISIS is launching in a couple test markets this month, so what can we do to pull Google Wallet out of its hole before it’s too late?
Carriers have a clear advantage. They control the American smartphone market and can add ISIS as “bloatware” and make it the official way to do NFC payments (at least in the general consumer’s mind). But Google also controls Android – the #1 mobile operating system in the world. The Search Giant could become a little more aggressive; maybe take carriers out of the equation and just make Google Wallet available as a system app? Or have it authorize payments via its own system, instead of the carriers’?
Past rumors have stated Google may be considering the idea of sharing revenue with carriers, which could entice them to support Wallet. Honestly, though, these carriers could probably make more by having more people using ISIS. And the idea of challenging carriers by dropping the “F bomb” and just making Google Wallet available for everyone may be risky, regardless of how popular and profitable for carriers Android is.
Personally, I see Google in big trouble after ISIS goes full speed ahead. I highly doubt carriers will change their minds; they would somehow need to be forced to accept Google Wallet as an option for customers. It is indeed sad to see carriers compete unfairly, but like we have said before… the mobile market is controlled by carriers, in the US.
Whatever move Google decides to make first, it has to be made soon. I fear Google Wallet will never become ubiquitous, otherwise, and ISIS will. But what do you guys say, do you think ISIS will mop the floor with Google Wallet or am I just worrying too much?
[polldaddy poll=6624368]
[Via: The Verge]
well if Verizon actually lets me use Google Wallet that would be great. Until (never) that happens ISIS will be the winner by default.
Competition?!?! What competition? Lets just block the competition from our devices.
Rite now they can block it because they can say they don’t support mobile payments. Basically a loophole but after isis is release they have to allow competition or as someone else said they will be fined by the fcc
I placed an FCC complaint about it and the VZW rep did everything possible to side step my question as to why they were blocking it her response “We won’t let you get to it in the play store but its your interpretation that we are blocking it”…….. I straight up told her it wasn’t cool to block it until dev on your product is complete!
ISIS will only help Google Wallet as it will help speed retailer NFC adoption… if carriers try to block Google Wallet in favor of their own NFC software, that will likely result in fines from the FTC for anti-competitive behavior.
yeah I think it’s pretty ridiculous and unfair of the carriers to do this. Sad thing is that I think google more or less “agreed” to what verizon is doing, and so noone can really go after verizon for blocking google wallet.
I want to agree, but isn’t Verizon already doing this without penalty to Google Wallet? Verizon has gone far out of their way to ensure Google Wallet will not run on any devices from their network and I have yet to see any form of punishment dealt to them.
All I want is the choice to use what I want! (which is Google Wallet)
Yes, but in their defense, they aren’t allowing ANY mobile payment… even though Google Wallet is the only one available… Once they let one in they have to let them all in.
I thought I read that Verizon was one of the carriers doing the preview of ISIS in the select cities.
I think this is false, because ISIS will be using NFC-enabled SIM cards, instead of using built-in NFC chips. This way they have more control.
I will always find a way to use Google Wallet instead of whatever Verizon wants me to use. If it gets to the point that Verizon finds a way to keep me from using Wallet completely I’ll tell Verizon to kiss my ass and I’ll go to a carrier that is more friendly.
When ISIS is rolled out, hopefully that will allow Google Wallet to step up and absorb simplytapp and make it where they can use it with any NFC enables device
Even if ISIS is great, I will continue to use Google Wallet on my rooted GNex simply because I don’t want to give any more money to Verizon. They already nickel and dime me so much, and are trying to strongarm me into giving up unlimited data. I wouldn’t feel right giving them one penny more.
Isis won’t work on rooted phones.
LOL yes it does.
GW would win if carriers would quit being anit competitive and stop blocking it. Otherwise I fear GW doesn’t have a chance.
You say GW would win in which I hope they do, but how can you state they would without actually knowing the difference between the two? They both have NFC, but there is more than just that. Just like all cell carriers provide service, but there are major differences between the two.
Of course the answer around here is “well just root and put wallet on yourself” but the simple issue is that the vast majority of smartphone users don’t even know what root is, let alone being capable of doing it. Which means the carriers have wallet by the balls. Google can *try* to get it out there more by selling unlocked devices on their site but that’ll only work for two out of the four main carriers. Er, and it definitely doesn’t address that hurdle here in the US of subsidized phones.
Call me stupid but why won’t Google just open up Wallet worldwide? NFC payments are quite common in Europe, I’m certain it would immensely help overall adoption rates.
only used NFC payment once and back to credit card.
I my Google Wallet all the time and I love it.
it’s not competition if AT&T, VZW and T-Mobile is blocking Google Wallet. i’d like to use mobile payments but only if it’s Google Wallet.
Just make Wallet like any other app and when you tap your phone it should bring a prompt up to decide what payment option you want to use.
Google really deserves to lose on Google Wallet since their effort has been so incredibly lackluster.
Google has absolutely no communication or transparency on what the issues are with Google Wallet, instead they simply limit it to an absurdly small subset of Android users for no apparent reason.
Why isn’t Google Wallet just an app like any other, that anyone can install worldwide without having to ask carriers for permission? Maybe there are good reasons for it, but they sure haven’t explained them if there are.
I’m really looking forward to Isis just so I can finally use the NFC on my phone to pay for purchases like I thought I would be able to when I bought it.
Google Wallet is getting an ubder-upgrade that makes your wallet obsolete. It will hold all of your debit, credit, and loyalty cards. The only thing it doesn’t carry is your ID. And that’s probably in the next version.
Google should buy out t-mobile or start their own mobile company, I’d go for it.
If GOOGLE had ANY concerns for their name, product and reputation for support, theyd do a better job. However, there has been MANY efforts on the part of “customers” asking, pleading with Google Wallet to reach out and assist with a bug in their latest GooglePlay update with the “Redeem”‘n option. This rollout caused a LOT of users to lose the “Bill MY Carrier” option that they once had andnl used.
Instead of support, Google sends them on wild goose chases with “canned” prefab “donotreply” responses…..this may be the nail in googles coffin a far as carrier relation goes.
i fully agree with regard to how google has notoriously poor support of its associates products and their respective malfunctions. this is why i have always prefered a company that does not branch out into an array of affiliated services that it cannot manage effectively
isis is simply a better and more efficient system than google wallet. the problem with google is that it interlinks all of its affiliated services and it does not allow you to choose exclusive preference. i believe that a truly efficient mobile system requires dedicated allotment of resources. it should not be involved in myriad services and products which do not contribte to the primary objective of efficient mobile payments
Yes I agree. To me , I get an at&t’ish feel when I.experience google. Its sort of a “we control what yu do and youre gonna like it” attitude…while definitely att’like: no customer support whatsoever.
I smell some folks from ISIS commenting on this article!
Wrong, Fart. You must smell yourself and Newt
I got it now…you are a schitt rumpney fan aintcha? How does it feel to be callled something smelly and gross? Well thats what you did when you ASSUME you “smell” ISIS….
ISIS is being released tomorrow. How can you call it better when it isn’t even available?
I don’t care who wins as long as we get something ubiquitous soon. The whole point is to not have to fumble around with cards, I don’t want to have to fumble around with different pay apps as well. I hope google wallet wins. I think isis will only win if apple were to back it and verizon were to continue not allowing us to install google wallet (without root).
Will ODIN ever bring ISIS down?
This is why we can’t have nice things!
Google wallet is fused with to many products for for it to fail….Google shopping, Google Play store, Google finance, etc….lets also keep in mind Android fans who appreciate Google services. ISIS is new, if someone is less familiar with a new brand they will think twice before they sign up. Google Wallet has “name” for its self which is “GOOGLE” as an entity and something someone wouldn’t mind tying their other Google services with Google wallet .
Whichever provides the best security and simplicity will most likely win. However, with 3 of the top 4 carriers shutting out google wallet, google will have an uphill battle. I for one will root my Note 2 when I get it and install google wallet as I prefer to use google services.
Uh, history disagrees with u there.
It’s not about the best product it’s about marketing and who’s prepared to do whatever it takes to win.
Hence the reason honest, open and respectable people and companies fail.
I don’t think there’s any compelling reason to use these services at all. Retailers don’t care. Consumer’s don’t care. The only people who care are the phone companies and google who see dollar signs.
First bring NFC payments up. Then we can talk about Google Wallet and other alternatives. NFC is pretty much useless here unless I can use it at vending machines or to pay for the bus or subway.
Sterling Archer doesn’t give a damn about Android
to be honest, they’re both screwed. Most people are technically challenged. The people that vote here are special, we care about tech. People just use what’s given to them. Unless google starts putting wallet on more phones and have more ads that show how it’s used and how cool it is, people WILL NOT CARE. ISIS might be a bit better off but once someone says NFC gets hacked no one will use it lol
You are wrong. It is easier for one to use a credit card you lost than a phone you lost with ISIS or Wallet. It is more secure due to pin numbers needed, the ability to suspend your account with ALL CC at the same time etc. Tech challenged/people without computers etc, will def stir away from this. ISIS gives you more control over your cards and actions than Wallet does. If it comes to security, Wallet may lose. I love competition. I hope there is room for more NFC payment options!
open season on NFC payments. i would like to see multiple companies come up with multiple solutions. i think it would be great if even banks could include such functionality in their own mobile apps so that you can pay, then see your updated ledger.. just sayin.
If they do it for *REAL* with handset support, carrier support, and lots, and lots of retail support, yes ISIS will win!!!
Bring on mobile payments!!! I’m really, really excited about this!
ISIS is supporting a LOT of devices, but still is held back by the 2 markets they will be testing in, the credit card companies that are involved and the lack of companies supporting NFC payments still. Without more stores supporting NFC, you will see a SLOW progression on these types of services, no matter ISIS, GWallet, etc.
Vote: Other
Square is probably going to knock them all around for a bit, especially when their partnership with Starbucks goes wide. Isis is only TESTING in CERTAIN markets, Google Wallet doesn’t work on a lot of devices, and even then doesn’t have a very wide range of acceptance. At least square is available on all platforms, and is about to pick up a huge base just by flipping the coffee switch. It may not be ideal, but maybe the carriers can learn something from adopting and marketing a standard.
Isis has a contract with Starbucks as well…time will tell what happens…
Indeed they do,but to your point somewhere further down in the thread, it’s being held back by the 2 markets they’re testing in. Square has been around for a while, and while I can’t speak for the rest of the world, in NYC, there’s a ton of places it’s accepted at now. Isis does stand to be a clear winner if and only if they get the buy in and support of businesses and carriers. A few banks wouldn’t hurt either.
That’s the tough part about emerging in a crowded area. Isis has so much niche competition right now, and instead of going in force the carriers are limiting it’s range. Kinda like the Android stock OS, and updates. The carriers care more about money than simplicity. If Isis doesn’t make it too far, they have only the carriers to blame.
People are blaming Verizon, but it’s Google that has partnered with Sprint and blocked the App on our phones. The carriers did lock out NFC for a lot of phones especially the Secure Element in the phone, though a phone with NFC locked out can’t use Wallet whether you root or not unless you use a Custom ROM that has unlocked it (Good Luck).
Google will lose because unlocked Nexus devices that are HSPA+ only here on only two carriers are crap for most consumers who want LTE compatibility or at least DC-HSPA+ for T-Mobile. ISIS will become ubiquitous. Carriers will update older phones (like Galaxy S2 devices) for ISIS and put the app in the FW. Newer devices will be released with ISIS preloaded probably unable to be disabled or uninstalled without rooting. The phone will probably prompt them to set up ISIS the way Google prompts for Google+ accounts when you set up your Android phone.
Apple’s next iPhone will likely support ISIS. I doubt they will even think about touching Google Wallet.
Windows Phone will probably support ISIS as well in the US. BB10 will likely support it here.
Google Wallet is fairly useless to me, because it’s not cross platform. I don’t want a mobile payment system tied to one mobile operating system. I need something a bit more cross platform, and I trust AT&T with my payment information (which they ALREADY HAVE) more than Google, personally.
taking other phone types into account is pretty valid, though im wondering if patents could be filed/bought up to delay iphone from getting NFC. though imo, once they have it apple will be trying to come up with their own solution.
No, if you actually followed the history of it when Galaxy Nexus was released you may recall that Verizon has stated back then in requesting google take wallet off of the GN. Of course they will make it sound as friendly as possible. But you know there is a lot more going on in the background. There is a reason why telecomms have been sued so often in the past for anti-trust activities.
I honestly think there will be a much bigger battle on the horizon. I am pretty confident that google fiber will eventually extend to cellular service in some capacity thereby eliminating a big chunk of shares from the telecoms. I for one eagerly await for that day as much as I can’t wait to flip my finger at my cable company for their decades of poor service and give my soul to google. Oh wait I’ve already did that so nvm, its all good.
is this somehow illegal what the carriers are doing??? don’t the government have a law or something supporting competition and not having a monopoly???
I also HATE how Google has taken over YOUTUBE! Just now, I tried to post a comment on a Youtube video but couldnt get passed that damn annoying Foogle Profile Name Display crap. Eventually having to “give in” to more Foogle control. Then theres that nagging grey bar that GOOGLE will NOT respond to requests to give US the option if we want thatbthing floating ontop of what we are tryimg to click on……
Is this the right forum for this?
I say “yes” as it relates to Google services side and customer followup is important to know how they handle customer inquiries. Do feel free to comment elsewhere in others’ post if this segment doesnt interest you.
-_- Google MADE youtube, youtube IS owned by google
Oh rats…but ok. I love youtube and I sho nuff LOVE me some android…i better get used to Google not-so-customersupport,level and enjoy the rest of the ride.
Thanks for planting my androidian hoofs on solid ground.
I think people trust Google a lot more than the carriers. The majority of consumers don’t use the bloatware on their phone and the name Isus does not clearly communicate what the app does. I think that Google has chance as long as they make it an app which circumvents the carrier, makes it available on iPhone, Windows, and BlackBerry- as long as they remain in business. They would do even better to advertise it on TV. That would give them the clear advantage.
This is one of the reasons they need to hurry up and roll it out internationally. In the UK I’m sure there would be great take up and as we aren’t screwed the same way by mobile networks in the UK I don’t see the same problem here. If there was international take-up then a carrier based solution that only worked in the US has limited appeal and people would more likely go for the more universal option.
Just a simple request. When you write an article containing a new acronym not everyone is familiar with tell us what it stands for. The only ISIS I know of is a routing protocol and this clearly isn’t that as it’s some sort of NFC payment solution. Yet I’m too stubborn to do a google search to find out what it now stands for since YOU SHOULD have included it in the article!
Google wallet all the way. Here’s why. I live in salt lake city. First you need a special sim card which is only available for a limited number phones. Second, they don’t take visa, third, the software won’t run on a rooted phone.
Unfortunately it doesn’t seem as if Google Wallet will enjoy great adoption rates over ISIS. ISIS is backed by 3 major US carriers, and Google Wallet is only backed by one major US carrier (and one carrier worldwide, at that). I hope there’s some antitrust rule that will force the other carriers to allow Google Wallet after their own payment systems are launched, but it could be an issue with a varying degree of grey area. The mobile payments market as a whole is in its infancy right now so it’s not too big of an issue, but once all the major carriers and all the retailers go full swing with this it should be more evident how things will continue to shape up.
the one big problem I have with this new technology is the carriers want to create ONE!! option for payments on devices they carry. I think a class action lawsuit should happen if there is only one option to consumers. I believe Google will find a solution to this, but seriously, it wasn’t Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile that thought up the idea in the first place…there starting to act like Uncle Sam, trying get in our pockets too much.
Competition begets Innovation. Blocking competition hinders Innovation. ISIS is a snake in the grass.
Fix actual support for phones…like the S3, then we will talk. Until then, Google has a sinking ship (currently)
Steve speaks truth. Google is getting into so many modifications and new releases for this and that but they do NOt invest in real-person support after issues arrise with some of their services. They heavily rely cn their scripted online faqs that seems to query your online form info and shoot back scenarios for remedies.
That cant work in every situation and google doesnt go “manual” to work an issue when the autofed info fails.
It will help Google. Now google can take carriers to court and say that they intentionally blocked Wallet to develop their ripoff version of the app. Google was the first to allow this type of technology. At least in the US i believe. I just hope they had some patents to back it up.
I don’t care which one I use, I just want ONE of them to work on my f’ing brand new S3!!!!!
Ayyyemen breaux!
Honestly to make paying with your phone a reality one standard has to win, ISIS has the support of 3 major carriers and google wallet has very little carrier support plus it can be buggy on different smartphones.
Isis has the backing of the carriers who have the ultimate say in what phones they sell, and has manufacturers making custom software builds for each phone to suit the carrier. It’s not brain surgery to figure out that ISIS will work more reliably, I’ve had problems getting google wallet to work on even my gsm galaxy nexus, so I don’t have much faith in google wallet anymore.
Not to mention the fact that Apple will never support Google wallet, Isis however with is supported directly by the carriers has a chance.
I think the fact that this is a Android site is clearly coloring peoples view of the future of google wallet. Google wallet has been failing for a long time.
Google has been excruciatingly slow with this and serious security flaws have popped up. At first I liked the idea of Google bypassing all the toll bridge trolls of carriers, credit card companies, etc. and giving us a free product — but they have to do a lot better on the project in terms of time and quality.
Old news now. GooglePay still do not provide real customer services. They will end up like Dell, under-support a product and lose a log of busimess. But hey who are we fooling, Google I S the internet…..it aint going nowhere…