Several retailers have been quietly testing a Google payment system called GBuy, and users will see a GBuy icon next to AdWords paid search ads. PayPal has dominated the online payment field for some time. It has been a profitable business, one which eBay purchased in October 2002.
" L+ S0 {* x$ }( [" M0 y
6 h, ]2 e) V. ]8 a. X8 X2 KPayPal delivered nearly a quarter of eBay's most recent quarterly revenue of $1.3 billion, the Wall Street Journal said in a report today. - _% ]4 ^1 m t3 }, o5 Q2 M/ T3 L
0 f. P* U2 a: ?
That PayPal revenue may look like a big jar of chocolate chips to the Cookie Monsters at Google. Their rival system, called GBuy, has been getting a workout since the early part of 2005. The Journal cited a source briefed on the service: - p+ f3 O. T* e4 x: `( Y
' ]! N* N- f3 p( e
% b* t7 Y, y* g$ d( G2 _, DFor the last nine months, Google has recruited online retailers to test GBuy, according to one person briefed on the service. GBuy will feature an icon posted alongside the paid-search ads of merchants, which Google hopes will tempt consumers to click on the ads, says this person. GBuy will also let consumers store their credit-card information on Google.5 c: I6 N) H4 i) n v
2 H( h3 `& l& C
Storing payment information has been an ease-of-use feature and strength of PayPal. Google has enough brand recognition to get a lot of attention. The Journal's report seems to suggest the way Google will get users on board will be through its GBuy retailers. But will eBay accept GBuy as a payment method? Probably, as long as eBay gets its cuts of a sale as is customary.
8 @; l6 ~0 i, G& t( m! ?$ `# s1 J. m; Q E8 ^
The GBuy.com domain returns a "page not found" error when tested, so whatever Google has on tap isn't readily available yet. The domain has been registered to the Burbank, CA, firm Trout & Zimmer. SearchEngineWatch noted in September 2005 how the domain gcalendar.com was transferred from Trout & Zimmer to Data Docket Inc, a firm well known for registering domain names with Google as part of the name.
G$ q+ `3 Q' A; I9 u- \/ E1 I- |0 f9 q1 e% m+ |9 _1 B V
Google, as per usual, had no comment on any pending products, the Journal said. |
|