The search giant today launched a new payment service called Google Checkout that's nearly a clone of Paypal Express Checkout service. Anyone with a credit card can register for this Google Checkout.When you do a product search on Google, some of the sponsored links on the results page will have a tiny shopping cart icon which mean that the advertiser supports payment via Google Checkout.
Alternatively, you can visit the merchant's website directly, do the shopping and choose Google checkout button at the time of making the payment. Google will handle the transaction and you won't have to you provide your credit card details to the merchant.
Other two main advantages of using Google Checkout are:
» You won't need separate accounts on multiple online stores - you single Google Account login will work on any only store that supports Google checkout.
» You will be able to track all your purchase histories in one place at Google Accounts console.
Normally customers are not comfortable sharing their credit card details with small merchants but when they realize that the payment gateway is controlled by Google, I am sure nobody will give a second thought. Also, Google won't share your full credit card number with sellers.
Google Checkout service is free for consumers while Google will charge a commission from merchants. This is a screenshot of Google Checkout Button on the Buy.com website.
If any item of the vendor website is not eligible for Google checkout payment, the icon will be greyed out as you see in the screenshot below:However, it is not so easy to sell goods using Google Checkout. Thought there's no monthly or setup fee for merchants, there are some very strict requirements before you decide to incorporate Google checkout in your online store.
You'll need the following basic things before apply to Google for becoming a Google Checkout affilliate.
* The federal tax ID number (or a credit card and an authorized Social Security number) for your business.
* A text-only version of your return, cancellation, and shipping policies.
* A shopping cart on your business website to accept online orders (unless you're integrating via Buy Now buttons).
Google's commission is around 2.0% plus $.20 per transaction. For Adwords users, they can process up $10 of sales via Google Checkout for every $1 spend on advertising on Google Network.
As a Fed Tax ID or an SSN is mandatory for using Google Checkout to sell goods, this service is virtually ruled out for merchants located outside the US like in India.
Download Video Tour of Google Checkout
Stores that accept Google Checkout | Help on Google Checkout