If you were wondering when you would be able to use Google Wallet on your smartphone or tablet, it looks like you will not have to wait that much longer according to a report that was posted this week. According to that report, Google Wallet will be updated this week to be compatible with all devices on the market that are powered by the Android 2.3 operating system or higher. The Google Wallet app has been around for a little while, but it was only available for a select number of devices.
Google is getting ready to add the update to the Google Play store this week and once it has been updated it should work on any and all devices that are running Android 2.3 or higher. For the most part, when the application was first announced, it was going to be on devices that featured NFC technology support, but once the update is complete the app will work even if you do not have the NFC support on your phone. None of the built in features of the NFC will work, but the app will still function.
Functions like sending money to anyone with an email address are still going to work. Once you have a bank account setup on the app, you can be able to send cash to anyone with an email address. Google is hoping to take on PayPal with the new features, but that is going to be a tough road to follow since PayPal has been the leader in online cash transfers for the last 10 years or so. Sending money to others via your Google Wallet balance will also be possible, plus if you have a debit or credit card tied to the account you can send money from that, but it will incur small fees for those transactions.
Another feature that might be good to check out is the fact that users can add store loyalty cards to the app. All users have to do is enter the barcode on the back of the card into the app and then at the register, shoppers can present the digital version of the card rather than dig through ten cards to find the one while the entire store is waiting behind you. Over the next few days, Google will be sending out notifications for the update with the process completing over the next couple months.
