Google Checkout Shutting Down in November

[Bob]

Google's spring cleaning continues with this week's announcement that Google Checkout will be retired in the fall to make way for Google Wallet.

Checkout merchants can continue to accept payments until Nov. 20, when the service will close its doors forever.

In an effort to ease retailers' pain, Google has partnered with Braintree, Shopify, and Freshbooks to offer discounted migration options for those without payment processing. U.S. merchants who do have payment processing can apply online for Google Wallet Instant Buy.

Interested users can join Google's live webinar at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday for more details.

Google Play developers won't be left out in the cold. According to Justin Lawyer, senior product manager for Google Wallet, developers selling through properties like Google Play, the Chrome Web Store, and Offers Marketplace will continue to be supported, and will automatically transition to the Google Wallet Merchant Center soon.

Shoppers, meanwhile, can keep making purchases on apps and sites like Priceline, Uber, and Rue La La, as well as various Google properties, with Google Wallet.

"Just look for the Google Wallet button to make safer and more secure payments," Lawyer said in a blog post.

rest of the article...

 

[Morgain]

Thanks for the heads up Bobster.
Doesnt extend outside USA though.

 

[Adam Howard]

Known about this since last year (that how long this info has been out).

Google Wallet works just as good (that I'm aware of). Can send and receive payments without issue.

 

[sweetpotato]

Never used Google checkout. Just PayPal for the time being

 

[Anthony Parsons]

Google stood no chance against Paypal... just like their groups stands no chance against Facebook... nor does anyone stand a chance against Google search.

 

[tenants]

nor does anyone stand a chance against Google search.

I wish that one were more true... people are finding recommendations / links through social media, this isn't "search per se" but people are finding sites / content through other means, which takes a big bite out of Google Search

.. no company will be around for ever... Even some of the biggest come and go, but I hope Google does do well in other areas, and Google search remains important for a while (I'm not a fan of big social networking sites that use their own internal content, but it seems to be the trend)

Tim Burns Lee is also not a fan:
http://www.complex.com/tech/2012/04...acebook-are-threatening-the-future-of-the-web

Unfortunately, it seems more people know who "Mark Zuckerberg" is, than they do "Tim Burns Lee"

 

[Anthony Parsons]

I disagree. People have always found content via following links, and websites are growing, however; Google grows in proportion.

People find something by following links, forget where it was, but remember the name, then Google it. People bookmark their favourites... all been happening and isn't affecting search per se.

 

[RickM]

just like their groups stands no chance against Facebook

How the heck can you compare them two That's like saying 'iMessage stands no chance against Twitter' - two not event remotely closely related services.

Google Groups, opened 2001. It's a usenet service.
Facebook, opened 2004. It's a social network.

 

[Biker]

Unfortunately, it seems more people know who "Mark Zuckerberg" is, than they do "Tim Burns Lee"

I have no idea who Tim Burns Lee is, either. Never heard of the individual.

Tim Berners-Lee, on the other hand, I have heard of.

 

[Lisa]

It's already Google Wallet in the UK

 

[Luxus]

Google Wallet/Google Checkout is credit card only, right?

 

[jmurrayhead]

I wish that one were more true... people are finding recommendations / links through social media, this isn't "search per se" but people are finding sites / content through other means, which takes a big bite out of Google Search

.. no company will be around for ever... Even some of the biggest come and go, but I hope Google does do well in other areas, and Google search remains important for a while (I'm not a fan of big social networking sites that use their own internal content, but it seems to be the trend)

Tim Burns Lee is also not a fan:
http://www.complex.com/tech/2012/04...acebook-are-threatening-the-future-of-the-web

Unfortunately, it seems more people know who "Mark Zuckerberg" is, than they do "Tim Burns Lee"

I disagree. People have always found content via following links, and websites are growing, however; Google grows in proportion.

People find something by following links, forget where it was, but remember the name, then Google it. People bookmark their favourites... all been happening and isn't affecting search per se.

I'm with Anthony on this. If you really think about it, the links we follow from other sites, including social networking sites, are probably things we wouldn't have searched for had someone not brought it up to us. And there are plenty of times that I have saw something on facebook, but didn't have time to check it out right then. When I finally had time, instead of searching through a billion posts (slight exaggeration), I just use Google to find it.

 

[Lisa]

I'm with Anthony on this. If you really think about it, the links we follow from other sites, including social networking sites, are probably things we wouldn't have searched for had someone not brought it up to us. And there are plenty of times that I have saw something on facebook, but didn't have time to check it out right then. When I finally had time, instead of searching through a billion posts (slight exaggeration), I just use Google to find it.

This

 

[tenants]

I'm with Anthony on this. If you really think about it, the links we follow from other sites, including social networking sites, are probably things we wouldn't have searched for had someone not brought it up to us. And there are plenty of times that I have saw something on facebook, but didn't have time to check it out right then. When I finally had time, instead of searching through a billion posts (slight exaggeration), I just use Google to find it.

I kind of agree, but your now searching for the product name rather than being suggested via phrase searching, so it's a different type of searching.

For instance.. I want to buy a hand bag (do I.. I don't :s, but stay with me)

>> In the past, I would have searched for hand bag
>> Now, I get a link from FaceBook (ad) or suggested by some of my camp friends to look for "banana republic"

Never before would I have searched for "banana republic" to find my handbag (I would have thought they sold bananas), instead I would have search various phrases or searched for handbag shops

The suggestion is being removed from the search engine, which is still a chunk
People are logging into social media on a daily bases, so it will have an effect on how content is found

 

[jmurrayhead]

I kind of agree, but your now searching for the product name rather than being suggested via phrase searching, so it's a different type of searching.

For instance.. I want to buy a hand bag (do I.. I don't :s, but stay with me)

>> In the past, I would have searched for hand bag
>> Now, I get a link from FaceBook (ad) or suggested by some of my camp friends to look for "banana republic"

Never before would I have searched for "banana republic" to find my handbag (I would have thought they sold bananas), instead I would have search various phrases or searched for handbag shops

The suggestion is being removed from the search engine, which is still a chunk
People are logging into social media on a daily bases, so it will have an effect on how content is found

That is true, but there are also times when I can't even remember who makes it. So I just type in generic search terms to find said bag.

 

[Lisa]

I kind of agree, but your now searching for the product name rather than being suggested via phrase searching, so it's a different type of searching.

For instance.. I want to buy a hand bag (do I.. I don't :s, but stay with me)

>> In the past, I would have searched for hand bag
>> Now, I get a link from FaceBook (ad) or suggested by some of my camp friends to look for "banana republic"

Never before would I have searched for "banana republic" to find my handbag (I would have thought they sold bananas), instead I would have search various phrases or searched for handbag shops

The suggestion is being removed from the search engine, which is still a chunk
People are logging into social media on a daily bases, so it will have an effect on how content is found

If I want to buy a handbag (which would be an unusual occurrence for me as well since I don't like them) I wouldn't wait until someone on Facebook suggested one, I'd hit google and look for "interesting handbags" or "I want to buy a handbag" or some other random search words. Facebook isn't a search engine, and I don't use it as such.

 

[Adam Howard]

Google Wallet/Google Checkout is credit card only, right?

To send money;

• Debit cards
• Credit cards
• Pre-paid cards
• Gift Cards

They all work.

Which is fine if you don't doing banking and is fine if you do; do banking as every bank has some kind of card with a visa, master, discover, American express, ect... logo on it.

When you receive the money it goes wherever you tell it to go (all one need is an account number).

I don't have a bank account (don't want one) & the closest thing for me would be one of a dozen pre-paid cards, which allows me to send & receive money just fine (as they do supply an account number for direct deposit).

 

[Jason]

It's already Google Wallet in the UK

Google Checkout and Google Wallet were/are two different products with some overlap. Notably, Checkout handled processing for physical goods, something Wallet will not. It's not really a replacement, but shifting focus.

 

[Jason]

Google Wallet/Google Checkout is credit card only, right?

Those based in the U.S. can link a bank account and use their Wallet balance to make purchases on Play and Offers.

 

[Jason]

I kind of agree, but your now searching for the product name rather than being suggested via phrase searching, so it's a different type of searching.

For instance.. I want to buy a hand bag (do I.. I don't :s, but stay with me)

>> In the past, I would have searched for hand bag
>> Now, I get a link from FaceBook (ad) or suggested by some of my camp friends to look for "banana republic"

Never before would I have searched for "banana republic" to find my handbag (I would have thought they sold bananas), instead I would have search various phrases or searched for handbag shops

The suggestion is being removed from the search engine, which is still a chunk
People are logging into social media on a daily bases, so it will have an effect on how content is found

You're basically describing discovery vs. intent.

When you log onto Facebook, you're passively receiving social updates about your friends. The intent is to see what other's are doing, staying abreast of life events, but there usually is no particular intent of learning. On the other hand, most people turn to Google when they are actively looking for something specific. They're searching for information about a topic, person, product, company, etc. -- especially when the topic is sensitive in nature. There's real intent.

Google has the obvious advantage here, as search works well even if very few people develop content. It's essentially an experts forum as opposed to a casual conversation. Most people are not publishers of information, but there's just enough that are so the rest are well served. It also makes advertising more lucrative. If you're searching for a certain product, you're probably more inclined to be receptive to advertisements featuring it. On the other hand, if I'm showing you ads that are largely irrelevant (e.g., Facebook's suggested posts), you're more likely to find it annoying / obnoxious.

The two are pretty much opposites, though value can be found in both.

Disclaimer, I'm a Googler.