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Google Checkout Rolling Out Features and Waiving Fees

techcrunch.com — "Google seems to be pretty serious about their little PayPal killer, and is releasing a steady stream of new features that appear to be addressing merchant needs. This is a product that we ’ve been using steadily since launch to bill event sponsors." - TechCrunch

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  • justin22290, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14Looks like Google is going to pull a Wal-mart on pay pal by dropping fees for a while.
  • kenvsryu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Competition is healthy.
  • cuzican, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9"Please pay before we break your legs" - the best part of the article..
  • juicygossip, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2well you know how google is, they are doing the same thing microsoft plans to do. monopolize the entire web industry.
  • Xenophix, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3eBay are being [insert swear-word here] by not allowing Google Checkout on their service. Google are perfectly free to strike up a rivalry to Paypal who solely dominate the market, and just because eBay are unhappy about Google muscling in they're blocking them off from an unrelated resource that happens to be owned by the same people.

    Bah. Maybe I blindly support the Google revolution.
    • XiozTzu, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4These are the same weasels trying to push net neutrality.
    • wuori, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Riiigghhttt... eBay is a(n) [insert swear-word here] for not wanting to lose money? The nerve...

      The Google revolution, as you may 'blindly support' is a double-edged sword. Low-cost and high growth into every market - I remember Wal-Mart doing the same thing.
    • judsond, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Riiigghhttt... eBay is a(n) [insert swear-word here] for not wanting to lose money? The nerve..."

      No, they are being asses for being anticompetitive. They are using one product (auction system) to force users to use another product (payment system). This is textbook anti-trust type behavior. And of course it makes them money, it's just not obviously legal.
    • wuori, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That's one way to look at it. If you owned and operated eBay, what would you do? Lose money on principle?

      It wasn't anti-competitive to block Google Checkout. Think about it. NOW eBay competitors can offer Google Checkout and finally have something that eBay doesn't. Also, there are other options for online auctioning, and, much more, online shopping. If this is your 'textbook anti-trust' behavior, then perhaps you should get a different textbook.
  • DimitroffVodka, on 10/12/2007, -3/+20I really hope Google burns down Paypal. Paypal was the most shady business I have ever dealt with in my life. They will steal your money than never tell you why, than you can't even contact them on the phone, than if you contact them on the phone they are an idiot. I just hate Paypal with every bone in my body. I only use them because I am forced too.
  • n0sferatu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Wouldn't it be great if in response Google decided eBay can't use its search engine and promptly removed their listings? Ah, I can dream can't I?
  • Beaver6813, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4:( Still not available in the UK
  • realbeandip, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Google should:

    1. Create GAuctions.

    2. Stop bringing up ebay listings in their search and replace them with GAuctions.

    Personally, I think ebay sucks as bad as paypal and wouldn't mind seeing both of them go bye-bye for a better solution... ala Google.

    Oh yeah: 3. Profit!!!
    • dayquil, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21. Google Base, remember? It's a matter of time.

      2. For the benefit of us all, I'm going to assume that's a joke.
  • ThisIsBob, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Screw Paypal. If you sell on eBarf, why can't you just send a Google invoice to the buyer?
  • bglodde, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Hell yeah let's let EVERYONE attach to our checking accounts.
    Too late for Google on this one, IMHO.
  • thomashallock, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3PayPal refunds all their fees when you click the "Refund Payment" link on the payment record. I'd still very much like to use Google Checkout for eBay listings... but I hear that eBay disallows it. Bastards!
  • youdlike2know, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6i'll be dropping paypal as soon as they launch google checkout in the UK.. screw ebay/paypal's monopolistic tactics..
  • emorphien, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I'm much rather use google checkout if it actually makes attempts to protect sellers on auction sites and actually has a fair set of rules for buyers and sellers. Paypal does too good of a job of actually avoiding helping people.
  • greg9683, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I've used Google's Checkout and its really easy to use and quick. Definetly hope more stores take up using it. And for buyers they are giving 10 dollars off at places like buy.com.

    I'm hoping eventually they allow users to use it to send money to each other like in paypal. I hate having to use paypal to buy stuff online from other users.

    At the very least, I hope google puts pressure on paypal to develop at better product.
    • dayquil, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Everything Google does currently makes your second point seem like a given. Person-to-person transfers, both via email and via SMS, seem exceptionally likely to me.
  • timjbart, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Competition is always a good thing for us consumers...especially when it involves google.

    It's just difficult to see how they can chip away at a market that Paypal has basically had monopoly on for years
    • carapi, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Why especially when it involes Google you stupid lemming. Google does NOT give a ***** about you or your family. If you dying meant 5 more centsd in their pocket, they would not care if you died. If you think otherwise, you REALLY are a moron.
    • timjbart, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Lemming? Interesting. I love these polarized views

      I say Google are good for competition because they are a financial heavyweight with the power of shaking up any industry they choose.

      I didn't say I wanted Google to own me and my family or that they'd be winner of this present battle, but it is good for all of us because it means more money is going to be thrown into the arena. I use Paypal, and this will probably result in them having to improve their service, bonus.

      Why don't you think about the comments made by people rather than seeing the word 'Google' and having a paranoid tantrum?

  • lament, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i'm going to do this for selling some CDs I have on my site, but the fact that you can't include shipping anywhere is a drawback.

    i'm not a programmer so I can't use the API to interface with the USPS for calculating shipping, but what I plan on doing is using the new Send Invoice option. someone buys some CDs, I then invoice them separately for shipping. kind of a half-assed solution but whatever.
  • carapi, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Sigh...NO ONE at Google expects to kill Pay Pal.

    Google just hopes and prays that this might be their THIRD thing to be profitable, since most of their services are not.
    • dayquil, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1everything that has an ad on it is destined to be profitable. and everything that doesn't have an ad on it is destined to either have ads eventually, or attract traffic toward things that do. you know, it's not exactly an accident that google stock is as valuable as it is. I don't think much of anyone would share your opinion that Google is biting their nails hoping that this thing starts FINALLY bringing in some cash and help them stop eating mac and cheese every night.
  • quanta88, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3When are they going to let Canada into the action?
  • mntpng, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Oh I absolutely dispise everything about eBay and PayPal. They are by far the worse crooks I know. Their customer support is next to non-existent. Their so called buyer and seller protection is a complete joke. Anyone who has gone through PayPal dispute resolution process knows this. I for one welcome any kind sort of competition in this area.
  • CzescToJa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Finally! Good-bye PayPal!
  • Bishoco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The only thing keeping me from switching away from Paypal to Google Checkout is with Google my customers would have to have a Google account to pay through them. With Paypal, they don't have to have a paypal account to pay me. The google registration might turn some people off. It seems like they removed the Google login requirement with the email invoices, but I can't tell if they have done this with the pay it now buttons.
  • splintax, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The only thing stopping me from signing up is the fact that I don't live in the US.

    Why is this restriction being imposed?
  • tarpit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Is is just me or has paypal/ebay been getting worse lately. My roomate lost $250 on an Ipod that Paypal did nothing for since he did require a signature with the shipping. I just keep hearing more horror stories recently out of ebay than before.
  • mattverso, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ Beaver6813: *Sigh* ...still not available in Ireland either. I like Google, but they don't seem to be aware of their potential customers. How hard would it be to add "UK" or "Ireland" to that drop-down list?
  • millieloveselmo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Okay, I have had the WORST experience with Google Checkout I've ever had online. I mean, they're incompetent, slow and impersonal. I thought I bought an Elmo TMX doll on toysrus.com - they were available!!! I used GoogleCheckout because they were offering a $10.00 discount if you purchased with them. Fine. So far, I was a googler, why not? After a few days, I noticed that there had not been a charge on my cc. It'll show up on Monday, I thought. The following week I checked again. Nothing. I checked my google account. Purchase history indicated my order was in process. Okay, it should be in the mail soon. That was Nov. 28th. I filled out the little complaint form stating that I still hadn't received my package. In a couple of hours, google emailed me back in a scripted email that said to contact toysrus at their 800 number. Great... I did that. Guess what? toyrsus does not have any record of my transaction. The guy on the phone suggested that I go purchase another one of these stupid freaky dolls. (Now I hate him). So I go to toysrus.com and of course, the damn doll is SOLD OUT online. Check your local store. Okay, right. So, I fill out another complaint form stating that I'm dissatisfied - see if that will get their attention. What do I get? The SAME scripted email... please contact toysrus. blah blah blah. I did this a few times in different complaint forms.. just to maybe see if anything would change in that really personalized form letter... I now have seven referrals to toysrus.com to ask toysrus what happened.
    I really want to talk to someone directly at google to tell them their millionaire-asses can't run a ***** checkout service.
    Does anyone have a phone number or do I have to physically drive out there to have them reply to my order? They're only 15 miles from my house...
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