Technology powerhouse Google has announced that it will be bringing its NFC powered mobile wallet technology to the UK in 2012. The company released its much anticipated Google Wallet application earlier this year. The app can turn any Android, NFC-enabled smart phone into a mobile payment device. Google has been investing heavily in promoting NFC technology recently, hoping to expand the reach of the growing mobile commerce industry. Mobile commerce has gained a foothold in the UK, but there are currently few mobile applications capable of allowing consumers to make mobile payments available in the country.
The Olympic Games are coming to the UK next year. As with past games, a tide of business comes in the wake of the event. Google believes that mobile commerce will play a pivotal role in boosting the economy this year as many people travel to the UK to view the games. Several UK businesses seem to share this idea, as they too have begun adopting NFC payments as a way to expedite commerce and attract tech-savvy consumers.
Currently, the closest thing British consumers have to a mobile payment system is the contactless credit card coming from Barclaycard, one of the country’s largest credit institutions. The cards are used sporadically throughout the nation, but consumers have shown interest in mobile commerce, leading Google to try its hand at expanding the industry with their mobile wallet application.
