Google extends Offers to New York and San Francisco

Groupon has nothing to fear from Google. Yet. But the methodical Google Offers expansion shouldn't be ignored -- today two other cities join Portland. Google Offers beta launched in the Oregon city on June 1.

Google announced New York and San Francisco as coming soon on that day. Next up, revealed today: Austin, Boston, Denver, Seattle and Washington, DC and possibility Google Offers could reach 10 major metropolitan areas by early autumn.

Like Groupon, Google Offers provides daily deals with hefty discounts. What distinguishes Offers from Groupon or its competitors is Google's ability to leverage search, its existing network of services and mobile. More cell phones run Google's Android than any other mobile operating system in the United States.

"Also starting later today, you can buy, view and redeem a Google Offer of the day with Google Shopper 2.0 for Android", Eric Rosenblum, Google Offers product management director, writes in a blog post. "Once you've bought or saved an offer, it will appear in the My Offers tab in both the Shopper app and when you visit www.google.com/offers".

Google's big leverage is local search. "Shopper will also connect you to all kinds of deals that are near you in the Nearby Offers tab, so wherever you are, you can still get great offers from Google even if you haven't signed up for the daily deals in Portland, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area", he writes.

Then there is Google Wallet, which Offers will be part. Wallet is a mobile payments system Google will launch in conjunction with Citi, Mastercard and Sprint. Simply stated, Google Wallet is an offers and payments system available at the point of sale. In its simplest form, Google Wallet requires a tap to pay the merchant and charge the buyer's credit card. Accept the Google Offer, order and pay.