Google Wallet Card

[QuantumCredit]

This is a month old, but I thought I'd still post it here. Looks like Google will be introducing an actual physical Google Wallet Card which will circumvent the issue of some merchants lacking NFC capability as well as carriers refusing to support Google Wallet directly. With the physical card you'll be able to jump into the app and change your payment method on the fly. You can sign up for an invite to the new service here:

www.google.com/wallet

While I find this pretty cool and I've used Wallet with my Galaxy Nexus several times, there are limitations. First off, American Express uses a different system to identify merchants, so all purchases made with Wallet using an Amex card will code as "internet purchase", so if you have a BCP or a BCE you really should NOT use it with Wallet or you'll get a flat 1% on everything. Most other cards, including Discover, recognize merchants correctly, but you wanna test them first with a small amount to make sure. The other issue is that every transaction will be prefaced by "GOOGLE" on your statement which can be annoying. This is because Google uses a proxy card for the transaction and then charges the card you choose an equal amount.

The biggest plus is obviously that with the new Wallet you CAN leave all but your Amex cards at home, which you couldn't do before, as now you are guaranteed acceptance and you are also spared the strange looks some people will give you when they see you tap your phone to a card terminal (which I actually enjoyed haha). For me, I will give it a shot but until Google begins charging my cards directly instead of using a proxy card, and until Amex gets onboard, I am not overly enthusiastic.

[trumpet-205]

The biggest con with Google Wallet, Isis, and etc is lack of credit card protection. Since the transaction originates from Google in credit card companies perspective, you won't get return protection, extended warranty, etc.

[bichonmom]

IMO Google is too big for its britches. The LAST thing I want is for them to have access to my personal and financial info! Maybe George Orwell was glimpsing into Google.

[kevinjjc]

I don't want to miss out on credit card rewards like cash back for certain types of purchases.

[QuantumCredit]

---

@trumpet-205 wrote:

The biggest con with Google Wallet, Isis, and etc is lack of credit card protection. Since the transaction originates from Google in credit card companies perspective, you won't get return protection, extended warranty, etc.

---

That's why I'm holding off until they start using the cards directly w/o going through a proxy.

[creditnocash]

also anyone with an iPhone can't use this. 

these machines have been in almost everystore ive been in yet only maybe 1 or 2 people actually knew what the thing did. 

[nyancat]

No purchase protection? Says who, where? Here's Google's answer:

http://support.google.com/wallet/bin/answer.py?hl=en&topic=1349429&answer=2688794

I don't see why using Google Wallet should matter, has anyone here been denied purchase protection because they used Google Wallet?

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't use it for a large purchase because the receipt shows the MasterCard number. But I'd present the GOOGLE WALLET transaction receipt to my card issuer if I had to. I wouldn't expect they'd have the right to deny it, though it maybe even MORE of a hassle.

[QuantumCredit]

---

@creditnocash wrote:

also anyone with an iPhone can't use this. 

these machines have been in almost everystore ive been in yet only maybe 1 or 2 people actually knew what the thing did. 

---

With the new Wallet, you can use it with an iPhone as it'll just be an app. You won't be able to use NFC, but you'll be able to use the card, which will probably be RFID.

[trumpet-205]

---

@nyancat wrote:

No purchase protection? Says who, where? Here's Google's answer:

http://support.google.com/wallet/bin/answer.py?hl=en&topic=1349429&answer=2688794

I don't see why using Google Wallet should matter, has anyone here been denied purchase protection because they used Google Wallet?

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't use it for a large purchase because the receipt shows the MasterCard number. But I'd present the GOOGLE WALLET transaction receipt to my card issuer if I had to. I wouldn't expect they'd have the right to deny it, though it maybe even MORE of a hassle.

---

Here is the thing, most credit card protections (excluding AMEX) are serviced by third-party insurance company (these protections are outsourced to insurance companies). These insurance companies WILL find any reason to deny your claim.

I once bought a memory card from a seller using PayPal. It is broken and seller was giving me a hard time to return it. Chase redirected me to a third-party insurance company, and this insurance company denied my claim because the transaction originated from PayPal. This is true as my T&C booklet does state that transaction must originates from merchant directly.

I could complain it to Chase to see how they would react, but for a $10 memory card that is not worth it.

However my experience brings us back to your link

"Keep in mind that for purchases where Google Wallet facilitates the payment and then charges your registered card, the amount charged to your registered card is charged by Google Wallet and not by the merchant where you make a purchase."

[nyancat]

Thanks for the experience Trumpet. Google Wallet, PayPal, and Square are all what they call payment aggregators. SOMEONE is getting paid, THEY provide receipts, yeah. It just makes no sense the fact that they'd deny an insurance claim because a payment aggregator was used. I see nothing about that in the contracts.