With the spike in technological advancements, forgetting your coupons or debit cards is a thing of the past thanks to digital wallets. Technology giants Google and Apple are enabling you to pay with your smartphone by tapping or scanning the barcode on your device at your favorite merchant rendering your wallet unnecessary.
Google Wallet utilizes your smartphones abilities to store items digitally such as debit cards, credit cards, loyalty cards and gift cards. With the ability to store credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card, your smartphone is able to pay for purchases at places like Subway, Jack in the Box, Macy's, and Jamba Juice.
There's always skepticism with a smartphone having all of your personal information but Google gives peace of mind by setting a secure pin number that, once entered correctly, gives the functionality to the user.
Shopping online with Google Wallet is a breeze as certain websites will give you the option to "Pay with Google Wallet," asking you to sign in with your information. Keep your eyes out for merchants who use payWave, as this will be your visual cue that your Android device is accepted.
Currently Google Wallet is supported by: Sprint, Virgin Mobile, as well as Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy III, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, LG Viper, LG Optimus Elite and HTC EVO 4G.
Google plans to revolutionize the way we pay for things by partnering with more merchants so that paying with our device is the norm. If you prefer having coupons and boarding passes on your device instead then Apple will be the way to go.
Apple recently released its own version of a wallet, called Passbook, with its next generation of software iOS 6 for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
Passbook enables you to store your loyalty cards, movie tickets, and store coupons from merchants like Fandango, Target, Starbucks, and your favorite airlines.
Passbook has time and location based abilities so that you don't need to go into the application and launch it– it'll recognize the venue via location. Even when your phone is locked it will load your boarding pass. No longer having to carry your ticket is convenient and saves it from being folded in many ways like origami.
When booking a flight, Passbook is smart enough to alert you if your gate changes so that you're not waiting at the wrong terminal.
Technology is here to stay and the smartphone era is only the beginning to what will be a wireless phenomenon. Science fiction meets reality and with Google and Apple making it easier then ever to use our phones they will have us fully immersed in a digital age where cash is no longer a form of tender.
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