Google Wallet has made its first proper move outside the US to allow users in the UK to send money using Gmail.
Google informed TechCrunch that the service went live yesterday for 10-20 per cent of Gmail users in the UK, and will roll out over the next few days to be available to all users by the beginning of next week.
This is the only Google Wallet service rolling out in the UK. Google has not revealed when – or if – it will launch point-of-sale services for its mobile wallet to allow UK users to pay for items at participating stores using the Google Wallet app.
But Apple has made a commitment to entering the UK market with Apple Pay, and Google is unlikely to stand aside.
Gmail users in the US have had access to the money transfer feature since May, as part of a bigger ploy by Google to expand Google Wallet services beyond point-of-sale payments. The tech-giant has recently partnered with other payment providers to integrate its Instant Buy API into more e-commerce stores.
Whitepapers
Related reading
5 ways blockchain can change the cross-border payments landscape
Cross-border payments is a changing sector of the industry, driven by customers demanding little to no friction and encountering multiple steps, intermediaries ... read more
The SME technology revolution | video
The UK is home to 5.4m micro SMEs that have fewer than nine employees, according to the House of Commons library. They ... read more
JP Morgan blockchain network showcases banks’ DLT progress
JP Morgan’s expansion of its blockchain-based interbank payments project signals that major banks are stealing a march on disruptors and startups by ... read more
Security a priority for EU’s INATBA blockchain taskforce
The European Commission’s new blockchain initiative, the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA), should focus on quashing extant security concerns around ... read more