Stan Beer
Thursday, 29 June 2006 17:34
Your IT -
Home IT
Google intends to get a piece of the online shopping pie with a new shopping cart payment service for buyers at participating online retailers. The new online service, called Google Checkout (
http://checkout.google.com), aims to offer one-stop checkout option that enables shoppers to purchase from participating stores with a single Google login. It also works with Google's search advertising program, AdWords.
Shoppers can find stores that accept Google Checkout by looking for the
Google Checkout icon on AdWords advertisements or whenever they come
across the Google Checkout option on a merchant's site. If shoppers
want to use Google Checkout, they can create a Google Checkout login
from the merchant's site with a single username and password by
entering basic information, such as their contact details, payment
preferences, and shipping information, once. When checking out at any
store that offers Google Checkout, they can select Google Checkout and
complete their transaction with their login information. Shoppers can
also keep track of their purchase history, including orders and
shipping details, in one place.
Google Checkout also enables shoppers to conceal their details from
retailers when making purchases. The service conceals the buyer credit
card number and provides reimbursement for unauthorized purchases.
Google Checkout also lets shoppers choose whether or not to keep email
addresses confidential or block unwanted email from the stores where
they shop.
The new shopping checkout service from Google offers a potential
bonanza for the search leader, enabling it to leverage its huge search
engine advertising customer base of retailers.
"By integrating the checkout process with search and advertising, we're
helping our users complete the cycle of searching, finding and buying,"
said Salar Kamangar, Vice President of Product Management at Google.
"In the offline world, shoppers don't tolerate long lines and tedious
data entry just to buy something. They shouldn't have to in the online
world either. Google Checkout simplifies and improves the online
purchase experience for both consumers and merchants."
Google Checkout enables purchases using existing payment methods,
including Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. Citi is
offering its credit card customers a special promotion of US$5 if they
sign up with Google Checkout and use their Citi Card before September
15.
Google Checkout also works with Google's advertising program, AdWords.
The Google Checkout icon will appear on AdWords advertisements of
participating merchants when web surfers search on Google. As an
incentive for merchants to sign up for Google Checkout, AdWords
advertisers can process all or a portion of their sales for free. For
every $1 merchants spend on AdWords, they can process $10 in sales
through Google Checkout at no charge.
Google Checkout offers a range of integration alternatives for
merchants to provide the new checkout option on their websites. The
integration options include cut-and-paste buy buttons, as well as an
API that integrates with existing merchant shopping carts and order
management systems. A number of service providers have already
integrated Google Checkout with their commerce platforms, including GSI
Commerce, MonsterCommerce, and ChannelAdvisor among others. Better
known retailers who have signed up to the service include Jockey,
Starbucks Store, Levi's, Timberland, Buy.com, among others.
The service is currently open to all US merchants, whether they
advertise with Google or not, and Google says it is working to make the
service available to merchants internationally.