Google checks out online shopping transactions

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.