Google announced via a blog post on Friday that it is getting rid of the debit cards linked to its Wallet payment service. The debit cards will be cancelled on June 30 and users wonât be able to add money to them after May 1, the company said.
Just a few months ago, the web giant relaunched the Google Wallet app with concentrated focus on online peer-to-peer payments. Seems as if the company will now be turning the Wallet service completely into an online peer-to-peer payment method. The company said they have now launched features that will allow users to the quickly cash out with a debit card and send money using just the recipientâs phone number.
Not just that, the company says that with the added focus onto the online services domain, we can expect many more interesting features in the future.
The company had introduced plastic Wallet debit cards in 2013, before contactless payment services were available. The ulterior motive of the cards was to make payment easier and safer, but evidently, the cards weren’t universal and couldn’t replicate or replace all other cards a person owned.
Here’s what the company had to say in the announcement:
Dear Wallet Card users,
After careful consideration, weâve decided that weâll no longer support the Wallet Card as of June 30. Moving forward, we want to focus on making it easier than ever to send and receive money with the Google Wallet app
Last fall, we introduced the new Google Wallet app as a first step in that direction. Weâve added the ability to quickly cash out with a debit card and send money using just the recipientâs phone numberâand weâre not stopping there. Weâre hard at work on new features, so keep an eye out for those in the coming months.
If youâre interested in finding a replacement for your Wallet Card, both American Express and Simple offer debit accounts with similar features, including a card. Plus, weâve teamed up with them so that Wallet Card users will get an added bonus after signing up.
As we wind down support for the Wallet Card, we want to thank youâcardholders, early adopters, and payment pioneersâfor your feedback along the way. Weâre excited to continue enhancing Google Wallet to give you the best possible experience when paying friends and family.
If you have questions, check out our FAQ below. If you donât find the answer youâre looking for, feel free to contact us.
âThe Google Wallet Team