It’s been two years since Google launched its mobile payments platform, Google Wallet, but the initiative has been slow to take off. The company had reportedly planned to launch a plastic card that could be used at merchants who don’t accept tap-and-go NFC payments. On Friday, though, AllThingsD reported that Google has abandoned the idea.
AllThingsD said the change of plan was included in a memo that also announced the departure of Google Wallet head Osama Bedier. The report cited sources who said that “Google CEO Larry Page abruptly killed the card launch plan after he was displeased with a glitchy run-through last week. He had long been skeptical of a physical card solution, with several sources saying he felt it did not press forward innovation as payments startups like Square have done.”
Google Wallet has also been hampered by its lack of partnerships with mobile carriers and platforms. It is available through Sprint, Virgin Mobile and some other carriers on select Samsung and LG phones but is not supported by Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile, and does not work on the iPhone.
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