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Filed under: Business, Developer, Internet, Text, Productivity, Web services, Google

Shopping via SMS with Google's Gpay

Shopping via SMS with Google's Gpay

Payments by cell phone? Its 2007, we should have had that by now! (as well as flying cars) Not to worry, Google is on it. Apparently the team in Mountain View California does have a patent describing how to make payments via cell phone by texting the sum to a processing server. Person to person transactions can also be made using cash by the integration of Google Checkout into the mix. As it sits now, Google Checkout is not currently accepted in as many places as its rival PayPal is, so unless Google does a little teaming up or offer some hardcore incentives, Gpay could be in trouble. However, at least there is a plan in effect to get those ridiculous wallets out of our pockets to make room for the highly anticipated Gphone.

Filed under: Business, Finance, Internet, Web services, Beta, web 2.0

Freshbooks tries out Amazon's FPS

freshbooks uses amazons payment serviceFreshbooks is on of a short list of companies invited to try out Amazon's Flexible Payment Service that competes with the likes of PayPal and Google's Checkout.

Toronto based Freshbooks provides an online invoicing and time tracking application. With the integration of the new Amazon payment system, their list of payment options for customers grows to 12. This payment service not only gives a greater variety of payment options, but gives customers a greater sense of trust since many people have already used, and currently use Amazon to buy products online.

Amazon's FPS helps developers get through the complex issues surrounding payments online, just as its S3 Simple Storage Solution does for on demand web storage.

Filed under: Finance, Internet, Web services

Amazon to take on PayPal and Google Checkout

Amazon CheckoutTechCrunch is reporting that Amazon plans to launch an online payment system soon that will compete with Google Checkout and eBay's PayPal.

Amazon's existing checkout system for its retail site is one of the more sophisticated on the web. The company also allows third parties to sell new and used goods through Amazon's Marketplace and Auction services. But this will be the first time Amazon makes its payment system available for independent sellers to include on their own websites.

Apparently the service will work much like Google Checkout. When you find an item you would like to pay for, you click a button on the web site and you'll be redirected to an Amazon page to complete the transaction.

The beauty of these services is that you can submit your personal information to just one site and pay for goods purchased online at hundreds of websites. And while competition is generally a good thing, if this market gets too crowded, frequent online shoppers will wind up having to sign up for accounts with dozens of checkout services, which kind of defeats the purpose.

Filed under: Business, Web services, Google

$10 free from Google Checkout - which stores are participating?

Google Checkout Promo Stores
Awhile back we reported that Google is really trying to push its Google Checkout payment processing service by offering a $10 coupon to everyone who signs up. They're still offering the coupon, and they've even dropped the if-you-spend-$30-or-more requirement, and today I decided to bite the bullet and grab my sweet, sweet coupon. But I was a little annoyed that Google doesn't tell you up front, before you sign up, exactly which stores are participating in the promotion. The promotion page just lists fifteen of them, and says "And many more!"

Where am I going with all this? Well, since I did bite the bullet, I thought I'd satisfy everyone's curiosity and list all of the web stores that are participating in Google Checkout's $10 coupon promotion (Google Checkout has many more stores under its umbrella, but not all of them are participating in the promo).

In case you're wondering, I found the whole Google Checkout process really streamlined and painless--much easier than PayPal, far easier than most stores' built-in checkout system. Now that I've finally signed up, I'll be using it whenever it's available.

Anyway, see the full list--234 stores by my count--after the jump!

Read more →

Filed under: Business, Web services, Google

Google Checkout extends free transactions til 2008

Google CheckoutUnlike some of its other products, Google is really putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to Google Checkout. Previously Google had announced that it was waiving all transaction fees through the end of this year, but now it has announced that all transactions will be free for the entirety of 2007. Promising a merchant an entire year of free credit card transactions is a pretty good way to get them to try their service, and after a year of using it there's a pretty good chance they'll stick with it, so despite the massive upfront cost, this is a pretty savvy gamble for Google. They've also dropped a new features in for merchants, including easy coupon creation, email invoices, and easier web site integration.

[Via ZDNet]

Filed under: Business, Web services, Google

Google launches Google Checkout payment system

Google CheckoutAfter literally years of rumors, Google has launched its much-talked-about e-commerce payment system, Google Checkout. The idea is simple: Google holds on to your credit card and shipping information, and when you find something you want to buy at a Google Checkout affiliate, completing the transaction is a one-step process. "The goal here is to make it be one nanosecond from the time the customer decides to buy to the time the transaction is complete and the product is on the way," says Google CEO Eric Schmidt in the New York Times' coverage of the launch. Google has a trick up its sleeve for luring in merchants, too: If you're a merchant who buys advertising from Google AdSense AdWords, Google will waive some or all of your Checkout transaction fees. But for those who don't enroll in AdSense, the fees are still comparatively low: 20 cents per transaction plus two percent of the purchase price.

Filed under: Business, Web services, Google

Rumor Alert: Google expanding Purchases, Google Checkout?

GoogleThere's a lot of speculation about Google going around about today (not that that's different from any other day). First, Inside Google is reporting a scoop from a "quality tipster" that Google recently sent out a notice to beta testers about a system that would allow users to make purchases from "high-quality merchants" through their Google Accounts. According to Inside Google, the notice included a laundry list of products including "cell phone and iPod accessories, music and movies, health and beauty supplies, furniture, housewares, sports and outdoor gear, toys, games and more." In possibly-related news, ZDNet's Garrett Rogers says MarkMonitor, a company in the corporate identity business and which Google has been a client of previously, has registered GoogleCheckout.net, .org, and .info (as DNStination, Inc., which operates out of the same office). GoogleCheckout.com, on the other hand, is registered to someone else via GoDaddy. So the question on everyone's lips is, is Google Checkout Google's answer to PayPal? That definitely seems to be the logical conclusion, and rumblings to that effect have been going on for months, if not a year or more. The timing is interesting, considering that just last week Yahoo! reportedly struck up a deal with PayPal's corporate parent eBay to handle transactions (among other things), and acquisition rumors have been going around. One thing's for certain: If Google did get into the "checkout" business, it would pretty much instantly be a force to be reckoned with.

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