Google Checkout Open, Ready for Business
By Vangie Beal
June 29, 2006

Following much speculation surrounding Google's planned launch of a payment system to rival PayPal, the search-engine giant today announced that its Google Checkout is open for business.

Previously dubbed GBuy by the media and blogging community, Google Checkout is designed to offer Google users an easy way to complete credit card transactions at any participating online store with a single Google login.

Similar in nature to MSN Passport (one login to access multiple Web sites and services), Google Checkout allows shoppers to use a single Google account to quickly make purchases at participating online stores. By using the Google Checkout system, users can also track orders and shipping status from multiple online stores in one place.

Based on what's available in the launch version, Google certainly doesn't appear to be looking to cut into PayPal's transaction market share, as this serves to provide another gateway for Google users to make credit card purchases online. That is, it doesn't offer any replacement to using a credit card to complete an online transaction.

ChannelAdvisor, a provider of channel-management products, announced it is currently offering full support for Google Checkout. Scot Wingo, the company's CEO, said that merchants using ChannelAdvisor can now, with one click, turn on Google Checkout through their ChannelAdvisor account.

"Merchants need to apply for a Google Checkout account first. From there the ChannelAdvisor is a streamlined process with Google Checkout. Our clients can click to turn on the Google Checkout from ChannelAdvisor and their e-commerce Web site will be Google Checkout enabled."

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