In our face: Google officially kills Softcard support for Windows Phone

[Windows Central]

Have you heard the news? Google does not care for Microsoft nor Windows Phone. In fairness, this is not news, but if you need more evidence of their antagonism, look no further than Softcard.
On Monday, Google announced that they had purchased "technology and intellectual property" from Softcard, essentially acquiring the core of that company. The effort is likely a desperate move to catch up to Apple Pay, which is picking up commercial adoption by many banks and retail outlets.

Softcard is also available in the US for Windows Phone, specifically with Verizon and AT&T being supporters. In fact, the apps only recently became available (although our personal experience with their service was not exactly awe-inspiring). The fate of Softcard for Windows Phone though was not known until now.

Full story from the WindowsCentral blog...

 

[flapadlr]

Little armchair analysis:

Apple Pay is catching on. You need an iPhone to use it. Vendors are converting terminals in droves. I know this is for Apple Pay but I assume it's also for the new chip and pin credit cards impending in the USA. Good timing for/by Apple

SoftCard has the same number of merchants signed up as Apple Pay. So the competition between Google Wallet and Apply Pay boils down to the number of handsets out there. Match Tie.

What will Microsoft do?

They have so few handsets relatively in the USA that I don't think they will do much right away. As the marketing ramps up for Windows 10 I expect an announcement where they align with CurrentC, a rival mobile payment platform developed by the Merchant Customer Exchange, a company that counts among it's members Walmart, Target, Best Buy, CVS, Shell Oil, Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden), HMSHost (airport restaurants), Hy-Vee (supermarkets), Lowes, Michaels, Publix Super Markets and Sears. You use those merchants? You bet you do.

CurrentC is also a grab by those merchants to get around credit card fees from VIsa, MC, AMEX and intermediaries, so they are highly motivated.

I don't see another option except to do nothing. They could just do nothing and continue to sell Windows handsets to die hard fans and other people that like the simplicity of Windows on a Phone. But I think they will align with CurrentC somehow.

Ivan Lindenfeld
Saint Augustine, FL, USA
Red 1520 ATT

 

[agentmikeyd99]

Tweet concerns to @LumiaUS

 

[apupatel6565]

I just tweeted MS. I politely inquired into what their plans are for us, the mighty 2.7%