Google Canada executive happy to see Apple Pay enter the mobile payment market

posted by Alan F. / Dec 31, 2014, 2:18 AM

Google Canada executive happy to see Apple Pay enter the mobile payment market

Sam Sebastian, managing director of Google Canada, is actually happy to see Apple enter the market for mobile payment systems. And he sounds excited about the prospects of the Google rival doing well in the "tap to pay" arena. Although Apple Pay is only available for now on the Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus, it already accounts for half of mobile payments at McDonald's.

Sebastian expects mobile payment usage to increase slightly in Canada next year, but he doesn't see the feature becoming a huge hit. The executive points out that sliding out a credit card to make a payment is not a terribly hard thing to do. He says that consumers will need an incentive to use a mobile payment system,and Google is still trying to figure out what will make Android users use Google Wallet.

To that end, the executive welcomes Apple Pay, especially since it brings more awareness about mobile payments. "I think anyone doing great new things in the market is great for everyone," he says. "If it makes it better for users and it gives folks more choice and more opportunities and better utility it's good for Google, it's good for anyone."

"It's not, frankly, that hard to pull out a credit card and pay for something. So we have to delight (consumers) in some way beyond what they already do. So is there a way to deliver promotions, discounts, all sorts of other things that actually provide more utility if you use your phone as the wallet?"-Sam Sebastian, managing director, Google Canada

Besides McDonald's, Apple Pay is available to use at a number of high-profile retailers including Bloomingdale's, Disney Stores, Macy's, Nike, Staples, Subway and Walgreens.

source: CTV via MobileSyrup

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8 Comments

1. AlikMalix unregistered

"Enter" the mobile payment market? really? More like DEFINE the mobile payment market... Most android people I talk to have no clue what Google Wallet or even Isis/Softcard is....

posted on Dec 31, 2014, 2:22 AM 1

6. Neros

Posts: 1016; Member since: Dec 19, 2014

Most android users don't know they can use google wallet and nfc to pay for stuff and this was available 2years before gimmicky apple pay. Enjoy your 2% coverage, buddy, hahahaha. Also gl at intorudcing apple pay on a global scale in Europe. No bank will want to share money/customer data with Americans - it's a suicide. We all know that the USA is spying on everyone. Here in EU we have to focus on limiting the power of companies like google, apple, facebook, who often think they're above the law.

posted on Dec 31, 2014, 5:39 AM 1

2. HugoBarraCyanogenmod

Posts: 1412; Member since: Jul 06, 2014

Without Apple pay, Google wallet's popularity still end up like google+

posted on Dec 31, 2014, 2:45 AM 2

4. AndroidLollipop unregistered

sadly true

posted on Dec 31, 2014, 3:06 AM 1

7. Neros

"We don't need nfc. " Then enjoy being forced to get a new model cause your 5s doesn't have nfc. You do realise that places that support apple pay automatically support google wallet since it functions on the same principles, don't you? On top of that, every android flagship since 2012 has built-in nfc modules.

posted on Dec 31, 2014, 5:49 AM 1

8. AlikMalix unregistered

You do realize that only after Apple Pay those places decided to get mobile payment systems? Before that it was only MCDonalds and Walgreens. Apple pay is already carrying above 1% of payments made using a phone and that a couple of months after release... Google pay could even keep it available on their own OS as carriers blocked it. Like I said Apple just did you a favor. But yes "we don't need nfc" for file transfer, tagging, etc. there are easier, more advanced ways of doing these tasks.

posted on Dec 31, 2014, 10:03 AM 1

3. androiphone20

Posts: 1654; Member since: Jul 10, 2013

Its nice to see sensible people acknowledging what needs to be done to make people's lives better. It seems mobile payments weren't going to take off until Apple showed up, and now alternatives like Google Wallet will actually see some awareness

posted on Dec 31, 2014, 2:49 AM 3

5. Settings

Posts: 2943; Member since: Jul 02, 2014

The competition will make it good. Apple and Google should develop standards and unify the tap-to-pay system. Tis should be good. Now where's Microsoft?