Google Wallet hits technical snags

Search engine giant, Google's mobile payment service, Google Wallet, has run into technical glitches, although the extent of the problems is not clear, reports Computer World.

Google's Web site says the new mobile payment service is having "slower-than-normal wait times to add [credit and debit] cards to Google Wallet".

Bob Egan, a mobile commerce analyst at The Sepharim Group, says the roll-out problems “shows that Google's preparation for [release] isn't production-ready, especially in the context of a payments market" where security and customer expectations are heightened.

eWeek states that Google still has a lot of work to do in order to achieve outright success, and will likely face much competition.

According to InvestorPlace, the wallet itself functions similarly to eBay's PayPal service, letting users link a credit card to their Google Wallet to provide funds.

Within a Google Wallet app, users can set up different virtual credit cards to use before paying with their phones, including a prepaid Google Wallet card with a set amount of money in the account, or a virtual credit card from a bank or credit company.

Citi and MasterCard both back the service, and are heavily promoting Google Wallet to encourage adoption by users and businesses alike.