Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced on Friday that Google Wallet users will be allowed to send money to whoever they want via text messages. Previously an email direction was needed in order to send money with the app, but the company aims to simplify the experience that now will be faster and easier than ever.
The update of the Google Wallet app will be available on iOS and Android. The new feature permits users to select a contact from their list and the money will be sent with just the telephone number. Beneficiaries of the transaction will receive secure links through text messages, then they can enter their debit card number and Google will transfer the money within minutes.
The company wrote in a statement in the Google Commerce blog that they were thrilled with the great feedback they had received on the new Google Wallet app, and that they were working hard to make the experience even better. That being said, they invited users to send their feedback with the app via Twitter or Google+ accounts.
Recently, Google has been introducing new features to the system, as they improved contact suggestions so users can see first the people they send money often. Also, the security was improved with a button that lets users lock the app with just a tap. Something that was very well-received by users is a new function that allows to link a second bank account.
The updates come after Google rolled out Android Pay app in early September to be the competitor of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. All systems work with NFC technology which is a chip that works as one part of a wireless link, after it is activated by another chip. That way, data can be transferred when both chips are within a few centimeters from each other, as TechRadar explained.
Android Pay permits users to make purchases at stores with NFC sale points after they had registered a debit or credit card in the system. Millions of establishments across the United States are already equipped with the technology, including brands like Best Buy, McDonald’s, Macy’s, Walgreens, Subway, Whole Foods, Toys R Us, Subway, Staples and others.
The competition of NFC payments is becoming bigger than ever since Apple Pay can be used now in Australia, Canada, The United Kingdom and in the U.S. Another rival is Samsung Pay, a similar platform that works with Samsung Galaxy devices but it is just available in Korea and the U.S.
Another interesting thing about this kind of payments is that it can work on smartwatches. Apple Watch can be paired with an iPhone 5 or later, to buy things just by moving the wrist to the NFC receptor and tapping once, however, it just work in places where Apple Pay is supported.
“We plan to continue to encrypt end to end with no back door. We will productively work with the governments to try to convince them that’s also in their best interests in the national security sense. Your kids will not know what money is,” Tim Cook, Apple CEO, said in Dublin relating to Apple Pay.
Source: Google Commerce Blog