Google to Pay Carriers to "Prominently" Feature Google Wallet → Google Wallet has an advantage over ApplePay

Google Wallet lets you add any card from any issuer where ApplePay requires the bank to support it. I was able to add my Berkshire Bank MasterCard Debit Card to Google Wallet where ApplePay required me to get a checking account at TD Bank. But Google Wallet won't work at some vending machines with NFC readers as they don't take MasterCard Debit so I have to pull out ApplePay which has my TD Bank Visa Debit card. I have my TD Bank Visa Debit linked to both Google Wallet and ApplePay and I mainly use Berkshire Bank to pay the rent as the landlord sits on the rent checks before cashing them.

Google Wallet and ApplePay both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Isn't that because Apple Pay uses tokenization instead of transmitting your card #'s to the merchant?

Google Wallet doesn't transmit your card #s to the merchant, either. It uses a "virtual Mastercard", not your personal card.

Hmm. Automatically creates a virtual card?

That's actually interesting. Still don't want to give Google my credit card number, but that's interesting.

I've used G Wallet since the nexus s and it has never transmitted your actual card number... Everything goes thru Google first. Kind of like a PayPal credit card payment.

So, I guess the question I gotta ask myself is--who do I trust with my credit card number? Google? Paypal? Or the random merchant... bearing in mind I can generate virtual cards on demand myself... hmmmm

I personally have used it since 2011ish and haven't had any issues. I've also just used it as a novelty though.

At some point you must trust somebody, or else just be a Luddite and pay cash in person for everything. Sure, if you use a particular credit card company or product you might be able to generate virtual cards, but can you do it on demand and as quickly and efficiently as Google Wallet does? I've noticed that the "virtual Mastercard" number changes with every transaction I've made, so Google is doing it on-the-fly. I would not be able to manually do that so easily. The NFC in my phone makes it amazingly easy to use and as secure as I want it to be (I can lock it down as I see fit).

And the NFC readers can be a pain in the butt sometimes. There is a particular model of payment terminal (the ones at Walgreens and the ones at Staples) that is almost impossible to get ApplePay to work on even with the thinnest of a case. I just put a Mophie Juice Pack on my iPhone 6 plus and it works fine on vending machines and the VeriFone terminals but the ones I mentioned is impossible to get to read.

Read: it's not the Mophie case, I've had problems with that make of payment terminal even with Apple branded cases that are razor thin. I found that if I hold the phone sideways it works better.

True, but Google already knows enough about me. Do they really need to know my purchasing habits online and off?

Then again, my phone is Android, so they already know where I go anyway...

The NFC in my HTC One M8, with a Dot View case, seems to work everywhere I've tried without any issue. Except for the stupidity of CVS which blocks NFC payments from all devices even though they have working terminals. I've used my phone at Walgreens, Panera, Office Depot and many other places.

And CVS lost my business to Walgreens over their blocking of NFC and ApplePay. Vote with my wallet (iPhone).