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PayPal In Talks with Google for Android Payments?

By: , IntoMobile
Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 1:37 PM

Paying for applications and other items on your Android handset could soon become a lot easier. PayPal is rumored to be in talks with Google as the two arrange a system of payments for applications. This is good news for developers as it gives them a new method of payment, and perhaps Android users may be more inclined to purchase apps with the convenience of PayPal since there are more PayPal users than Google Checkout customers (the latter being the current method of payment for applications).

According to Bloomberg:

Users of Android phones, such as Motorola Inc.’s Droid X and HTC Corp.’s Droid Incredible, may be able to pay for apps with PayPal as soon as this year, said the people, who declined to be named because the discussions aren’t public. Customers currently pay via credit card and Google’s Checkout service.

This could bring Android closer to the likes of what Apple is seeing with app purchases through the iTunes store. Many iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users have had existing iTunes accounts which they now use to purchase apps along with music, TV shows and movies. Not many have been using Google Checkout outside of some retail outlets online.

As an Android user, I’d certainly be more inclined to buy apps from the Android Market if PayPal was a payment option. Make it a one-click feature and perhaps I’ll even go nuts loading my Evo 4G with new applications.

Would you be more likely to purchase apps from the Android Market included PayPal payments? Are you happy with Google Checkout now?

[Via: Bloomberg]

About The Author

Marc Flores

Marc has been a mobile fanatic for the better part of a decade and has had more devices pass through his hands than he would care to count. Originally from Los Angeles and briefly in San Francisco, Marc now lives in Brooklyn where, unlike Will Park, he longs for simpler times and simpler technology. All the while, he writes about gadgets and wireless technology as he tinkers, hacks and ultimately breaks most of his gadgets in the process. Marc has written about the mobile industry for Boy Genius Report, MobileCrunch, Laptop Magazine and has had his work appear in the Wall Street Journal, Gizmodo, CrunchGear and more.

  • Paul Anthony

    Here's hoping. That said, Android users have no choice at the minute to do anything other than to sign up, which Google must surely see as a way to increase the user base of Checkout.

  • Sandra

    There’ve been so many hack-reports about iTunes and Paypal recently. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to add it to Android payments.
    In my opinion, they’d better add something that is safer, prepaid cards like paysafecard or something like that.