
Google Wallet Users Can Sign Up Now for Physical Cards - turing
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/11/20/google-wallet-card-is-official-wallet-users-can-sign-up-now-for-physical-cards/
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aiiane
Let's clarify some things here, before the comment threads take off too much:

\- This is a prepaid card. It does _not_ proxy other cards, unlike previous
rumored versions of a Wallet card.

\- It only draws from Wallet balance. Funds can be added to wallet balance via
various means (bank account [free], receiving a GMail P2P payment [free],
credit cards [2.9% fee]), but this does not happen automatically.

As such, it does not appear to be trying to achieve the same "card
replacement" that e.g. Coin is. No, it is simply providing another way to get
at Wallet balance that doesn't involve transfer to a bank account or NFC
payment. Could be useful for people who make use of GMail P2P payments.

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silverbax88
No thanks, but I'm sure Google will sign me up for one anyway.

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Zigurd
So you have not yet heard that HN's comment system is switching to Google+?

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EGreg
How did you post that comment without a Google+ account?

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Zigurd
I posted it _from_ my Google+ account. Muahahahaha.

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macleanjr
Very disappointed that the Wallet Card has changed from its original goal of
linking all your cards into one... that was the biggest appeal for me. Now
that it's just another debit card, I doubt I will use it as my primary method
of payment.

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fat0wl
how does it work then, you have to transfer money into google wallet? i was
under the impression it WAS a card unifier but yeah if it's not blech why
bother when you already have credit/debit cards set up elsewhere (except i
guess their physical card may unify rewards cards for you?)

~~~
macleanjr
It pulls from your Google Wallet balance, which can be funded when friends
send you money, or you can load money on to it using a bank account or
credit/debit card (2.9% fee applies)

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fat0wl
o my lord. discover card gives you 1% BACK!

~~~
aiiane
Because Discover makes far more than that on people who owe them credit and
don't pay it off immediately, so it's in their interest to get more people to
owe them credit in hopes that they'll keep a running balance.

~~~
statusgraph
Credit cards charge merchants for their loyalty programs. They do make money
from carried balances, but that's not how reward programs are funded.

~~~
aiiane
Regardless, the point is that credit cards make money off of each transaction,
even if the consumer doesn't see a per-transaction fee.

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ok_craig
I'm really looking forward to when I can fund it with bitcoin.

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fat0wl
google doesn't need to play greedy mining games, they get paid in straight up
USD

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adestefan
Straight cash, homey.

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cylinder
Yet I still can't use Google Wallet on my NFC-equipped phone because AT&T are
idiots.

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VLM
Don't feel too bad, I heard Verizon is just as bad. I am a customer of a
Sprint MVNO and have a new moto-X sitting at home waiting to be unwrapped
tonight, and I've already been informed Sprint also prevents NFC wallet.

As far as I can tell, the only Google Wallet hardware that actually works for
NFC is tablets, like my nexus 7. Everything else disabled by all carriers. I
can't find anywhere to actually use it where I'd be willing to haul the
tablet.

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petervandijck
AT&T, Verizon and T-mobile funded the competitor-product Isis and can (and do)
technically stop Google Wallet from working on their phones because they
control the "secure element".

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shittyanalogy
I don't think this is a big feature, or anything more than a convienience for
already active google wallet users that want to be able to use a physical card
at retailers that don't support NFC transactions. It's mentioned no where on
the google wallet site [1] and doesn't seem to have any tech other than a mag
stripe. Also the card is issued by Bancorp, the same bank that backs Simple.
[2]

[1] [http://www.google.com/wallet/](http://www.google.com/wallet/) [2]
[https://www.simple.com/faq/](https://www.simple.com/faq/)

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dragonwriter
> It's mentioned no where on the google wallet site

That's only true if you ignore the main (Overview) page [1], the Shop in
Stores page [2], and the Stay Safe [3] page.

[1] [http://www.google.com/wallet/](http://www.google.com/wallet/) or
[http://www.google.com/wallet/index.html](http://www.google.com/wallet/index.html)

[2] [http://www.google.com/wallet/shop-in-
stores/](http://www.google.com/wallet/shop-in-stores/)

[3] [http://www.google.com/wallet/stay-
safe/](http://www.google.com/wallet/stay-safe/)

~~~
shittyanalogy
Oops i spoke too soon. It changed since I posted.

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synaesthesisx
This is great; I really do love Wallet and wish more places supported NFC
payments. It's great to have this for the ones that only have magstripes, as I
can now effectively carry one card and my phone wherever I go.

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r00fus
How is this different from using NFC and tying your Wallet with your VISA
card?

I see no tangible benefits here to the end user.

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darkstar999
For the vast majority of stores that don't support NFC.

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r00fus
So carry your VISA card along with your phone then. Again, I don't see any
benefit to me.

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nja
Sounds interesting. When I got an NFC-enabled phone, I was excited to use
Google Wallet, until I found out that Verizon blocks it. At least with a
physical card, I don't have to deal with Verizon!

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beachminter
It's not really the google wallet card, of course. I really wanted the old
Google Wallet card that was promised awhile back and then dropped.

So many wallet solutions have come out in the last few days.

Give me Wallaby: [https://walla.by/the-wallaby-
card?ref=ecpeby](https://walla.by/the-wallaby-card?ref=ecpeby)

Or Coin:
[https://onlycoin.com/?referral=ETAu9R6E](https://onlycoin.com/?referral=ETAu9R6E)

Google Fail.

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zengr
This is similar to PayPal debit card right? PayPal also support Mastercard,
which means you can use this prepaid card at any mastercard POS.

[https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/paypal-prepaid-
mastercard](https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/paypal-prepaid-mastercard)

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mfarid
And there goes Coin !!! Whoop... Out !!!!

