Google is testing a payments platform that sounds painfully awkward
REUTERS/Rebecca Naden
Google is working on a new payments service to counter Apple Pay's breakout success, according to The Information.
Plaso (pronounced "play-so,"), as it's being called by Google employees, is being tested at Papa Johns and Panera Bread.
It sounds really awkward to use.
You have to say your initials to the cashier to make a purchase.
Plaso uses an app on Google-issued Android phones that alerts retailers when there's someone in the store that can pay with it.
Your initials show up on the app, which is how the retailer verifies your identity (unless you had someone else's phone and lied; it's unclear if Plaso has other security measures). The Information says people will need Android phones to use Plaso, which could be integrated with Google Wallet.
But it seems like people might feel uncomfortable uttering the equivalent of "open sesame" to buy things.
There's no risk of accidentally spitting on your cashier with Apple Pay.
Plaso is only being used by Google employees right now. Google may chose never to release it to the public. But so long as it relies on a voice password, Google will have a hard time trumping Apple Pay's convenience.
Meanwhile, yesterday Apple CEO Tim Cook said that 80% of mobile transactions at Panera are already using Apple Pay. So Google has some catching up to do.
- A centenarian who starts her day with gentle exercise and loves walks shares 5 longevity tips, including staying single
- A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
- FSSAI in process of collecting pan-India samples of Nestle's Cerelac baby cereals: CEO
- India's e-commerce market set to skyrocket as the country's digital economy surges to USD 1 Trillion by 2030
- Top 5 places to visit near Rishikesh
- Indian economy remains in bright spot: Ministry of Finance
- A surprise visit: Tesla CEO Elon Musk heads to China after deferring India visit
- Unemployment among Indian youth is high, but it is transient: RBI MPC member