Google Wallet

[JoeKiv]

You are 100% correct.  The carrier should not have any say as to what NFC financial payment program a customer can use. It's well past time that the FCC took a look at this issue.  If the  carriers have a 'valid' reason for preventing use of a program then they should be required to present those reasons to the FCC.  If the FCC agrees then OK.  If not then the FCC should force them to stop and hold them liable for their actions up to now.

[demmo86rt]

According to Verizon, Wallet is not secure enough.

[JoeKiv]

When did my financial security become Verizon's concern.  Also, Sprint customers with NFC phones including the Galaxy S3 have been using Google Wallet for more than a year without any security issues. 

[Alphanerd82]

Verizon has been asked several times what these so called "security issues" are and have never given an answer. Also, ask yourself this question. If the security is not up to par then why is it that Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and Amex all allow use of their cards on google wallet? Do you really think all these companies would risk it if the program was that easy to breach? Lastly, as JoeKiv has pointed out, it is my decision, along with the banks and FCC, to decide if an app, program, or payment system is safe, NOT a phone carrier. As a side note, if you do your research, Verizon is in a joint venture with AT&T (infamously known for restricting it's customer base) and T-Mobile to develop ISIS. Now I ask you, are you really so gullible to believe that verizon is preventing use of google wallet because of security issues or could it possibly be that they are invested in making money off of ISIS( which by the way is only available to Austin, TX and Salt Lake City, UT).

[demmo86rt]

First, I never said whether or not I believe what Verizon says about Wallet, I was just telling you why it's not available.  Second, if you look at my earlier post in this thread, I know of Verizon's interests in ISIS.  Third, it's not Wallet itself that they claim to have an issue with, but rather, how it accesses the NFC chip.  Fourth, you can use ISIS in more than those two cities, those are just the only places you can get the secure NFC SIM in store.  You can order one over the phone and use ISIS in other cities.

Do not assume that I agree with a decision that Verizon has made just because I take the time to inform people of what that decision is.  The question was asked why Verizon disables the Wallet app, I was merely answering that question.  At the end of the day, that is their company line and it is apparently enough to allow them to keep restricting the use of the app.  No amount of ranting and raving on a peer to peer forum is going to change that.

[Todd_Hicken]

I live 2 hours north of Salt Lake City and picked up a secure sim card today.  You have to specifically ask for it as they don't advertise it.  Mind you it was in an effort to try to see if the tap and pay restriction on google wallet would disappear.

[demmo86rt]

Yes, same goes for if you call in, you have to specifically ask for the secure SIM.

[razorccatu]

Because of this I am planning on switching to Sprint when my contract is up. I understand their original decision from a business point of view but now this has gotten out of hand and is making many costumers (including me) very unhappy. I have tried to stick it out for a long time now and have been a Verizon costumer since 2004 but this will make me switch. I have another year with my current contract so if it's not changed by then I'll be switching to sprint.

[NexusMan21]

I am happy for you that you'll be able to use Google Wallet on Sprint, I just hope you don't have to use store Wi-Fi to get an internet connection.

[21stNow]

Todd_Hicken wrote:

I live 2 hours north of Salt Lake City and picked up a secure sim card today.  You have to specifically ask for it as they don't advertise it.  Mind you it was in an effort to try to see if the tap and pay restriction on google wallet would disappear.

That wouldn't work because ISIS uses the secure element that is in the SIM card while Google Wallet uses the secure element that is in the phone itself.  If you put an ISIS SIM card into a phone with a secure element, the ISIS SIM card's secure element will block the secure element that is in the phone.  T-Mobile Nexus 4 users have confirmed this behavior.