Am I the only one who hears about like 75% of Google's products for the first time only when they issue EOL/EOS notices?
Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
21–30 of 179 posts
Re: Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
#22I am sad about this. I've used the card since it came out years ago. Reloading, paying, canceling, renewing, locking were all so super easy. Only reason I didn't switch to Simple was because of the existence of Google Wallet + card, guess I'll be looking into that now.
Simple has been fantastic for me the past two years or so; give them a shot.
Re: Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because Apple/Android Pay are token systems that require integrations with a bank's backend systems. EDIT: Apple uses a tokenized system, each transaction nets them a fee. Google has a hack for the payment network, it costs them for each transaction.
Then why does it work for me without said integration?
I believe Google Wallet works with any credit card because the payments go through Google, and then Google bills your card.
NFC tokenized payments (e.g., Apple Pay and Android Pay) use an alternative credit card number issued by the bank. Payments do not go through Google or Apple, and only the bank knows that this alternate number is associated with your credit card account.
Re: Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because Apple/Android Pay are token systems that require integrations with a bank's backend systems. EDIT: Apple uses a tokenized system, each transaction nets them a fee. Google has a hack for the payment network, it costs them for each transaction.
Then why does it work for me without said integration?
[deleted]
Re: Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
#25This makes it obvious how successful the Wallet Card was, I wonder how well Google Pay is doing. I would not have even heard about Google pay if I wasn't on HN, and I have used Android from the beginning.
They're canceling it _because_ it was successful.
The issue is that by using virtual Master Cards they have to pay part of the interchange fee to Citi (or was it Bancorp?). Not only that, but if you were backing it by a credit card, then they ate the 2% fee that they get charged in the backend when hitting your real credit card.
Plus the fact that they were essentially issuing you and everyone else short term credit when you made a purchase and that every transaction was Card Not Present no matter what (even if you swiped the "real" google wallet card, which was fun to do) ... yeah.
It was never going to stick around unless you got charged for usage, at which point it's not so attractive.
The pressure in the industry is to move to the secure-element/token based system anyway, i.e. Samsung/Android/Apple pay.
If you want to do funky stuff in the backend to abstract your purchases into one place then Simple or something like that is for you.
What I'm worried about is what's going to happen with the send-money feature of Google Wallet, which was attractive for short-term keeping track of who owes who what without Paypal fees.
I'm hoping they bring that back and somehow link it into Android Pay, even if there's some kind of fee coming or going for when you actually "collect". (Keeping it otherwise liquid and fee-free when you're just moving numbers around between accounts inside the system).
crosses fingers
Re: Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
Then why does it work for me without said integration?
I believe Google Wallet works with any credit card because the payments go through Google, and then Google bills your card. NFC tokenized payments (e.g., Apple Pay and Android Pay) use an alternative credit card number issued by the bank. Payments do not go through Google or Apple, and only the bank knows that this alternate number is associated with your credit card account.
Google Wallet actually moved to a prepaid model - you can only spend money that you add.
Android Pay works for me the way that you described Google Wallet working. I add a card number (seems like almost any card works, I have a MasterCard Amex and Visa Credit and Debit that all work) After I tap to pay Google charges my card for the amount.
EDIT: I just looked back at one of the recent tap-to-pay purchases I made with Android Pay, the charge on my card says 'GOOGNFC*[merchant-name]'. I believe that means that Android Pay charges are going through Google.
Re: Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
#27hmm, not even sure what that was. I know this sounds like sour grapes complaining so feel free to read it in Verruca Salt's voice if you want... This is why I am scared to try anything new from Google. I know why they do it, I know how they do things, I totally get it, but it does not make it better. I know they like trying new things. I know they're not afraid to get rid of things that aren't performing like they wa…
I wonder how the engineers on these projects feel. To work really hard on something just to have it thrown out due to "business reasons". Must suck.
Re: Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
While Apple Pay adds dozens of banks each month, the list of Android Pay participating banks seems to have barely budged since the beginning ( https://support.google.com/androidpay/answer/6314169?hl=en ). In particular, Chase still doesn't work with Android Pay.
Honest question, I must be missing something here - Why does your bank need to participate? I just add the card number from any credit or debit card and tap to pay just works. I don't use any of the banks on the supported list. EDIT: Taking a stab at answering my own question - it looks like you can only set up ACH drafts from the list of supported banks, but as far as I can tell you can use any major credit card to…
When they say "bank", the term used in payments processing is "issuing bank", or more simply "issuer". The issuer is the entity that processes your application and issues you a card. They are responsible for approving purchases [0] on cards they issue and settling with the merchants.
So that list is basically the set of issuing banks which have done whatever steps are necessary to integrate with Android Pay.
[0] Typical flow looks something like this:
The merchant signs up with a payment processor who issues them a POS; this is the machine you swipe your card through. That swipe goes to the payment processor's network, which looks at the first 6 card digits, otherwise known as the Issuer Identification Number [1], and routes to the appropriate card network. For instance, any card starting with "37xxxx" is going to route to AmEx. The card network then routes to the issuing bank, who actually approves (or not) the transaction.
So POS -> Payment Processor -> Card -> Issuer.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_card_number#Issuer_identi...
Re: Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
#29Am I the only one who hears about like 75% of Google's products for the first time only when they issue EOL/EOS notices?
You're not the only one, which is exactly the problem.
PS: I've never heard of this service either.
Re: Google Shutting Down Wallet Card
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
Honest question, I must be missing something here - Why does your bank need to participate? I just add the card number from any credit or debit card and tap to pay just works. I don't use any of the banks on the supported list. EDIT: Taking a stab at answering my own question - it looks like you can only set up ACH drafts from the list of supported banks, but as far as I can tell you can use any major credit card to…
When they say "bank", the term used in payments processing is "issuing bank", or more simply "issuer". The issuer is the entity that processes your application and issues you a card. They are responsible for approving purchases [0] on cards they issue and settling with the merchants. So that list is basically the set of issuing banks which have done whatever steps are necessary to integrate with Android Pay. [0] Typi…
I think the point I'm trying to make is that you don't need to be using one of those banks to be using Android Pay. I use Android Pay for tap-to-pay purchases regularly and do not use one of the supported banks. You can use Android Pay with any major credit or debit card.