Google today unveiled its latest app, Google Wallet. As the name implies, it will allow your phone to act as your wallet and let you to make payments via NFC.
Google Wallet is a key part of our ongoing effort to improve shopping for both businesses and consumers. It’s aimed at making it easier for you to pay for and save on the goods you want, while giving merchants more ways to offer coupons and loyalty programs to customers, as well as bridging the gap between online and offline commerce.
Google Wallet will store credit cards, offers, loyalty cards as well as gift cards. The payment transaction process will also take care of redeeming offers and issuing loyalty points. Eventually, Google sees even more use for its Wallet, including the storage of boarding passes, tickets, ID and even keys.
Google has partnered with Citi, MasterCard, First Data, and Sprint for the initial launch. Only the Google Nexus S 4G from Sprint is currently supported but will be extended to additional devices (including HTC, Motorola, and Samsung devices) later.
Trials begin today with a wider US launch planned for this summer. There is no word on when we could see Google Wallet outside of the US.