Sprint announced that Google Wallet will be supported on the Galaxy Nexus and LG’s Viper, a big win for the mobile payment system. Google Wallet allows consumers to make purchases by tapping their phones on any Pay-pass terminal. Not only does it save time, but Google Wallet can integrate loyalty cards and other promotions as well. It’s all powered by Near Field Communication, a technology that allows smartphones and other devices to communicate with each other when they are a few centimeters apart.
Prior to Sprint’s announcement, Google Wallet was only supported on one device, the Nexus S 4G. The contactless payment service has met a number of barriers to entry, leading to low adoption. The carriers, handset manufacturers and merchants will need to cooperate and embrace this technology in order for it to be a success.