Google Wallet

 

Pros

A wireless, wallet-less way to pay. Fast transactions. PIN-protected. Free app 

 

Cons

Only available on Nexus S 4G (Sprint). Only available on Android. Only accepted at locations with PayPass. Only available for Citi MasterCard and Google Prepaid Card (backed by MasterCard). History section of app doesn't give details of transaction—only date and time. Website information confuses more than clarifies how to get and work the app. 

 

Bottom Line

Google Wallet is the mobile payment system you've been waiting for. Unfortunately, until more vendors, credit cards, and phones are supported, you'll mostly continue to wait.

 

Google Wallet : Mobile payments on Android

Google Wallet is a free app and service that runs on Android, although it is currently only available on the Nexus S 4G (Sprint) phone. It works with any MasterCard PayPass card reader, which has touch-and-go, or "tap and pay," functionality, rather than the swipe-card method. 

Google Wallet : Tap and pay

To make a purchase, you turn the smartphone on and tap it to the PayPass card reader. The transaction appears as a credit card transition, linked to either a Citi MasterCard account or a Google Prepaid account.

Google Wallet : PIN protected

To finalize the purchase, you may be asked to enter your Google Wallet PIN, which you establish when you first create an account. After the transaction occurs, you'll see a "sent" message beneath the Google Wallet logo on your phone's screen.

Google Wallet : Purchase confirmation

When the transaction is complete, Google Wallet shows you a confirmation code for the purchase. The app has a History section which shows the time and date of purchases, as well as the account used (Google Prepaid or Citi MasterCard), although oddly, not the confirmation number or amount. 

Google Wallet : Finding merchants

If you want to find a merchant who is accepting Google Wallet payments, you can look on the Google Wallet website and pull up an interactive map, which lets you search for businesses by ZIP code.