Google Strikes Deal With Softcard For Tech And Preinstall Wallet On All U.S. Major Carriers

Google strikes deal with Softcard for tech and preinstall Wallet on all U.S. major carriers

BY Evan Selleck

Evan Selleck

Evan's a lover of all things technology, and he's got a major soft spot for the mobile industry. Give him some time and he'd be more than happy to talk your ear off about all the new and shiny things....

All Articles by Evan Selleck

Published 23 Feb 2015

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As mobile payments continue to rise in influence, companies are finding ways to make sure that their own options are seen by the masses.

Google’s latest deal may be one of the biggest for Wallet ever. Google has confirmed that it has struck a deal with Softcard, the mobile payments company that was created by Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, that will see Google earn some technology for behind-the-scenes improvements of Wallet. More than that, though, it also means that Wallet will be preinstalled on Android 4.4 devices or later, a huge turn of events from 2012, when Wallet wasn’t even available on Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus.

As far as the “exciting technology and intellectual property” that Google is acquiring out of the deal, though, remains a mystery. However, it would seem likely that, following this deal and the technology that was earned, rumors that Google is looking to revamp Wallet as early as the Google I/O conference in late May of this year could certainly be possible.

Are you using mobile payments at all?

[via Google Commerce]