Google Wallet now lets you send money to anyone via text
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The likes of PayPal have long made it possible to send money to friends, family, and businesses via email. The same is true of Google Wallet, but a new update means that an email address is no longer needed -- a text is all it takes.
If you have someone's mobile number, you have everything you need to send them money. Google assures payers that the SMS-based system is secure, but it remains to be seen how popular an option it proves to be.
The feature is being pitched as a way to send money to anyone in your contact list. In a few taps, you can fire a payment off to a phone number and Google says that "the recipient will get a text message with a secure link".
In order to claim the money, the recipient needs to simply provide their debit card details and it will be transferred to their bank account.
You can grab the latest version of the app from Google Play or the App Store. If you don’t see the new payment feature straight away, it should be available in the next few days.
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