Google Wallet Now Integrated With Gmail
Times have sure changed. I remember when sending email was a new feature of being on the internet. I also remember feeling a bit like Alexander Graham Bell must have felt after inventing the telephone—a world-changing piece of technology at his fingertips, yet nobody to call. Fast-forward 139 years and email has all but replaced many everyday telephone calls. Now, Google has made Gmail a little bit better and quite a few steps ahead of the competition.
Today, I began by composing an email and I was alerted to the fact that I could now send money through Gmail to any email address I wanted to. This video pretty much sums up how easy it is:
Fees
As with any online transactions, there are always some fees. However, you might be surprised to learn that Google Wallet transactions can be absolutely free! Here’s what you can expect.
- From bank account or Google Wallet balance: FREE
- From credit or debit card: 2.9% (minimum of $0.30)
It looks like they are right on par with PayPal in terms of fees and just like PayPal, the recipient must have a Google Wallet account to claim their money. However, because PayPal stands on its own, it means you have to have yet another account with more sensitive data being stored in it. With Google Wallet, you simply just need to add the service to your existing Google account. For you Android users, you likely have already done this due to app and other purchases made through the Google Play store.
My two cents
As a major Google user (as well as Android fan), integrating Google Wallet into Gmail was a no-brainer. I didn’t even have to do anything since my Google Wallet account was already setup previously. The fact that I can also use NFC-capable devices at many popular retailers to pay for products without ever taking my real credit card out of my wallet, Google Wallet just makes sense.
