# Article: Google checkout free for the holidays



## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

http://weblog.infoworld.com/techwatch/archives/008805.html

Looks interesting.  Anyone tempted to switch?


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

I might be if the service wasn't US based


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

Solmu said:


> I might be if the service wasn't US based


I know what you mean. Almost every time I find a new service, it's for the US only. Of course I don't figure that out until I've looked through the entire site. Sheesh!

I would have mentioned that in my post, except that I had posted it before I found out for myself.  Sorry.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

It's not something you'd expect of Google. I assume they're just starting out in the US because a worldwide launch would be a nightmare, but plan on expanding sooner rather than later. I hope so anyway, because the sooner PayPal's iron grip is challenged the better


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## Twinge (Apr 26, 2005)

Solmu said:


> It's not something you'd expect of Google. I assume they're just starting out in the US because a worldwide launch would be a nightmare, but plan on expanding sooner rather than later. I hope so anyway, because the sooner PayPal's iron grip is challenged the better


Yeah, that's the idea. I think one of the next countries they were going to release it to was Germany actually, though I don't recall where I heard that.

Google does that a lot with thier new stuff; offers it before it's really 'finished'. They did that with Gtalk too; they only recently added the ability to send files through it 


The main thing I think is lacking in Checkout is the ability to process credit cards without making people sign up for an account. If they did that, I'd switch to them easily.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Twinge said:


> The main thing I think is lacking in Checkout is the ability to process credit cards without making people sign up for an account. If they did that, I'd switch to them easily.


Yeah, that's the second thing on my wishlist. From my point of view the ability to use the service from outside the US is number one  But for a US based business... you'd lose a lot of sales to non-US customers and to US customers who don't want to sign up for the service... but quite possibly more to the latter than the former.


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## Twinge (Apr 26, 2005)

Solmu said:


> But for a US based business... you'd lose a lot of sales to non-US customers and to US customers who don't want to sign up for the service... but quite possibly more to the latter than the former.


Well, if they offered that much, I could use it as the primary payment source, but I could still offer Paypal for people who prefer Paypal and international orders.


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