Google Wallet Removes Credit Card Option

It used to be possible to send money to friends/family/anybody with Google wallet using a credit card for a fee of 2.9% + $0.30. Some people found it useful for meeting minimum spend requirements despite this high fee. Google has removed this feature and you can now only fund directly from your bank account or by using a debit card.

after

After

 

before

Before

When reader, Gaurav asked about this, this is the response he received:

Thank you for asking about using credit cards in your Google Wallet. You can use your credit cards to tap-and-pay with your Wallet app, for online purchases with your Wallet, and to add funds to your Google Play Balance for shopping on the Google Play Store.

We used to enable credit cards to send money through Google Wallet and to top up Wallet Balance, but we discontinued that to protect all our customers (and Google) from suspicious activities often associated with credit cards. Also, banks frequently charge much higher fees for using credit cards than debit cards and bank accounts.To send money and to top up your Wallet Balance, please use your debit card or bank account.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

20 Comments
newest
oldest most voted

LeoM
LeoM (@guest_441177)
July 17, 2017 10:43

Hi, is Google Wallet still an option to liquidate VGC’s and AGC’s?
Thanks

Chuck
Editor
Chuck(@chucksithe)
July 17, 2017 15:54

From memory, no

Joy S
Joy S (@guest_124474)
May 23, 2015 09:13

Aaaand…my only reason to use google wallet has now disappeared. Yet they still have my personal information, including my soc. sec #. Any idea if I can request they wipe that?

traderprofit
traderprofit (@guest_104766)
April 15, 2015 22:57

Geez, sooner or later we’re going to have to actually buy stuff with our credit cards.

Parkerthon
Parkerthon (@guest_104294)
April 14, 2015 17:23

I find it very hard to believe money laundering is the issue these companies are most concerned about. Seems to me there’s better options that scale for that(like running a restaurant front business or fake auctions through ebay). I think it’s actually paying the higher processing fees of these rewards cards that tend to be MS candidates that these companies change their policies.

Max
Max (@guest_104222)
April 14, 2015 14:23

Also, the response from google which stated that it’s possible to top up the balance with credit card is false. This was my only way of easily MS since I live out of US. I’m kind of desperate to find out a way to do this.

I also heard that Amazon register can’t be used abroad even if you use VPN, but I haven’t tried it myself.

Jack
Jack (@guest_104214)
April 14, 2015 14:05

Data point: I did not use credit card for GW, but GW shut me down too. I used mutil-accounts w/debit card to send to one GW, and paid large bills with it(more than $3000 a time).

Jack
Jack (@guest_104384)
April 14, 2015 22:27

Sorry for not clarify, GW closed my account sending me an email saying that the reason to close my account can not be disclosed. Luckily I just paid my bill and only left a few couple of $ and I can let it go. It saves me a lots of effort to fight for my money back. Seems in the MS world, being shut down is a sooner or later thing. So load and drain right way is the better strategy, at least I think so, after so much struggles to fight your money back, even it’s your money, but you have no control. I would appreciate to have some discussions about the legal owner of the money for pre-paid or retailer gift cards. After the purchases, do you own the money(I think so)? If so, why the company have so much power to control it? What kind of laws or rules can protect your gift card money from being scammed by the company (make all kinds of excuses to lock it or take it away from you legally, because they retain the rights to do such such)?

Joy S
Joy S (@guest_125874)
May 26, 2015 17:54

While this may well be a valid complaint, it has nothing at all to do with the topic of this thread. Whether or not you understood that you were hijacking the thread when you started–that’s what you’re doing, two people have told you so, and please stop.

Self-Important
Self-Important (@guest_163644)
August 25, 2015 12:51

Nah, he’s fine.

This ain’t Reddit, this is a barren comments section at the end of an article which happened to speak to Jack and his situation.

He started his own thread within the comments, and nobody was required to respond or engage.

Hence, the hoity-toity jacker here is you.

Dan
Dan (@guest_104177)
April 14, 2015 12:20

If someone wants to go this high fee route, they can still do Square at 2.75%. Seems like there are better ways to MS though

David
David (@guest_104198)
April 14, 2015 13:25

Square is notorious about MS shutdowns and withholding funds for months at a time, much like PayPal.

DoC: do you have any recommendations for those of us that are interested in “buying” our min spends? I’m looking to live overseas for some while where my natural spending will be low and my MS opps are very limited. Serve and GW were my hopes for easy MS, but those are both out.

Paul
Paul (@guest_104206)
April 14, 2015 13:38

@David, You could try Amazon Register. I signed up with them back when they were offering a promotional rate of less than 2%. I figured I would use it with my 3% earning credit card, but things changed a bit and it is hardly worth it with my 2% cash back card. Anyways, I have used it sparingly, but without any issues. It could be worth a shot.

Mark
Mark (@guest_104137)
April 14, 2015 11:14

Any word if the UFB debit card earns miles for this?

David
David (@guest_104176)
April 14, 2015 12:18

They charge 2.9% + 30c for debit cards.

Vdebs
Vdebs (@guest_104226)
April 14, 2015 14:38

Ermmm, no. Just used this the other day and it was no fee to send money.