Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#91

Post by rogerbinns » Tue, May 21, 2013, 2:15 AM UTC

AjithAntony wrote: post #73

rogerbinns wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I won't buy any books from them until they do DRM free epubs that I can download. (The same applies to all vendors.) They do get this right with their music.

FWIW, they now let you upload your own epub and PDF files (up to 1,000 items), as of last week. If you enjoy Books as a distribution platform and reader for your devices, but want to buy your books elsewhere.

I've already uploaded my collection. Unfortunately they also have a 50MB limit which excludes several of the books from the Humble Bundle eBook collection.

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#92

Post by rdl » Tue, May 21, 2013, 2:20 AM UTC

thehodge wrote: post #10

_Lemon_ wrote: post #7

Earlier today I received a phone call from a number in Mountain View CA. It was Google letting me know in advance that Google Checkout was to be shut down (and asking to keep the call quiet). This was, to say the least, very surprising considering I have very little correspondence with Google Checkout and was actually thinking there was a huge problem with my account. Thankfully not but this is still bad news for mys…

Someone suggested Bitcoin today, as a merchant, what would you recommend to start accepting it? a third party service?

I'd personally go with Coinbase (we're going to add it shortly), since they have probably the best API.

All of the Bitcoin options suffer from a long delay between "oh, I want to use your product/service" and "can pay", if your user doesn't already have bitcoin. As long as 5 days.

What I'd recommend, if you're selling a service, is to do a 15-30 day trial AND take Bitcoin (or give someone free initial service IFF they pay with bitcoin, if you don't do demo anyway), to give them a chance to get started immediately. Unless you're shipping a physical product, losing 5 days of service if someone's bitcoin payment doesn't happen isn't a big deal, usually.

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#93

Post by Shorel » Tue, May 21, 2013, 2:21 AM UTC

Amazon is still a viable alternative to PayPal.

I used it to buy the latest Humble Bundle.

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#94

Post by contingencies » Tue, May 21, 2013, 2:26 AM UTC

codereflection wrote: post #18

I figured this was going to happen when they announced Wallet, :/. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5714531

This is the real story. They're not shutting down at all, they're pivoting their focus within payments to mobile/physical presence. Getting rid of 'card not present' situations means cheaper and more reliable processing, and the physical focus that goes with mobile payments gives additional reasons for Android users to leave their credit card details with Google. Google's fastest growth right now must be in Android-driven Google account signups. I can see why they're focusing on that area, rather than some old, first financial world only, pre-monopolized, credit card not present delayed payments reverse charges web based fraud rule quagmire.

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#95

Post by greggman » Tue, May 21, 2013, 2:31 AM UTC

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #11

Google is making the same mistakes Microsoft made. Trying to enter into every industry it can thinking it can use it's monopoly power to take over the world. Reality: Doing 20 things mediocrely is not as profitable of doing 2 things very very well. Result: 1) Constant experiments and dropped products (just like Microsoft). 2) Consumers no longer trust your services to stick around and no longer even invest in your pl…

Um, did you read the post or just the headline. Aren't they just replacing Google Checkout with Google Wallet and isn't Google Wallet better than Google Checkout? It sounds like an upgrade to me. What am I missing?

Is it just a messaging problem? If they had instead said "We're renaming Google Checkout to Google Wallet. We're introducing API v2. API v1 is deprecated and will be turned off in 6 months so upgrade your apps." would that have changed your response?

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#96

Post by eco » Tue, May 21, 2013, 2:33 AM UTC

aviraldg wrote: post #77

Uh... calling it a "shutdown" isn't all that close to the truth. They're transitioning from Checkout to Wallet.

"Google" + "Shutdown" = instant successful headline

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#97

Post by eco » Tue, May 21, 2013, 2:37 AM UTC

The post says they are transitioning over to Wallet in the very first sentence. It's amazing how many people are commenting without even getting that far into the link.

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#98

Post by jebblue » Tue, May 21, 2013, 2:51 AM UTC

greggman wrote: post #95

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #11

Google is making the same mistakes Microsoft made. Trying to enter into every industry it can thinking it can use it's monopoly power to take over the world. Reality: Doing 20 things mediocrely is not as profitable of doing 2 things very very well. Result: 1) Constant experiments and dropped products (just like Microsoft). 2) Consumers no longer trust your services to stick around and no longer even invest in your pl…

Um, did you read the post or just the headline. Aren't they just replacing Google Checkout with Google Wallet and isn't Google Wallet better than Google Checkout? It sounds like an upgrade to me. What am I missing? Is it just a messaging problem? If they had instead said "We're renaming Google Checkout to Google Wallet. We're introducing API v2. API v1 is deprecated and will be turned off in 6 months so upgrade your…

Actually that would have been a more logical way to put it.

edit: IOW I agree with you.

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#99

Post by gcb0 » Tue, May 21, 2013, 2:52 AM UTC

gareim wrote: post #83

gcb0 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what do you mean "could replace paypal"? I use google checkout for pretty much everything I can't buy at amazon. It's accepted at lots and lots of places. and usually it's my deciding factor when selecting for two stores. I don't use paypal because their system sucks if you have international credit cards and because of the lack of moral grounds they showed. never missed it (but then, i don't send money to random peo…

He means it in the sense that most people stick to PayPal and your story is nothing but a blip. Google never gave enough incentive for most people to leave PayPal for Checkout. I doubt the majority of my PayPal using friends have ever heard of Checkout, let alone used it.

i don't think checkout can even be used to exchange money. only pay for stuff... but good point.

Re: Google Checkout will be retired, transition to Google Wallet

#100

Post by fakeer » Tue, May 21, 2013, 3:00 AM UTC

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #11

Google is making the same mistakes Microsoft made. Trying to enter into every industry it can thinking it can use it's monopoly power to take over the world. Reality: Doing 20 things mediocrely is not as profitable of doing 2 things very very well. Result: 1) Constant experiments and dropped products (just like Microsoft). 2) Consumers no longer trust your services to stick around and no longer even invest in your pl…

There's Google Wallet and recently I'e purchased LastPass premium using that, outside Google's shops I mean. So, they just thought it's better to have either of the two - Checkout or Wallet.