As you may know, US users were invited to sign up for a Google Wallet debit card at the end of last month. Social media announced that the first of the cards have started to arrive with their new owners. Did you sign up for one? For US users, the wait is over and they can try out their new cards. So we wanted to recap the features of the card, and ask a simple question: Is Google Wallet any different to any other debit card? When you receive your card, you simply sign the back and activate it as instructed. The process is simple, straightforward and it is really, just like any other debit card. However, Google Wallet’s arrival presents potential new opportunities for online businesses. Here is what Google Wallet lets users do -

• Google Wallet can be used anywhere. Once the user tops up the pre-paid card, it can be used to buy anything, anywhere, at any MasterCard location, on or offline, all around the globe.
• It can also be used to access cash from a huge network of worldwide ATMs. Unfortunately there may be a charge for this with some ATM providers, so if you have a Google Wallet, check for charges before you press enter for your cash!
• Google Wallet will send you messages whenever money is spent and debited from your account. The notifications are sent to your phone to make it easy to keep track of spending and transactions.
• There will be no fees associated with owning and using a Google Wallet. You will also be eligible for various loyalty reward schemes, offers, and sales reductions.
• Money transfer can be done easily and securely. For US users, transactions are free for transfers from a bank account to Google Wallet. There is a charge for transferring funds from one debit or credit card however, set at 2.9 percent. But, the recipient will never be charge a fee, which is not the case with other services like PayPal.

Why are we telling you all this? It’s important. If you have an e-commerce enterprise online, it’s vital you keep up to date with not only how customers are finding you, but also, how they spend their money with you. We believe as the Google Wallet grows around the world, there will be increasing opportunities to attract new customers by offering special rewards and discounts to Google Wallet users, on and offline. We will be keeping an eye on progress so we can pass on the latest advice and great tips as soon as we have them. If you want to try Google Wallet, you can download it from Google Play.