TechCrunch Review: Google Wallet
TechCrunch Review: Google Wallet | TechCrunch
Tying into the near field communication (NFC) system built into select Android handsets, Google Wallet allows your phone to act as your credit card. By tapping your Android phone against a compatible card reader available in select retailers, your payment credentials are transferred to the merchant without any swiping or physical cards required.
While the idea of combining your phone and your credit cards may terrify some, Google Wallet is (at least in theory) more secure than their real world plastic counterparts. If your phones screen is off, the transmitter chip can not be powered and stores no data (thereby preventing a passing hacker from skimming your card as he walks by). If you havent used Wallet in the past 30 minutes or so (or if youve manually locked it), a PIN is required before anyone can use your cards or even see which cards your Wallet contains.
TechCrunch Review: Google Wallet | TechCrunch