Sneaky! Internet retailer Amazon just launched a real-world wallet

By Malarie Gokey July 22, 2014

Amazon has released its own Wallet app with very little fanfare. The mobile payments app is called Amazon Wallet and it mostly offers a convenient space in which to store all of your gift and loyalty cards. It doesn’t actually support mobile payments, debit or credit cards yet, but it may in the near future.

The idea behind the app is to cut out some of the clutter in your physical wallet or purse. If your wallet is nearly full to bursting with rewards cards from 10 different pharmacies, grocery stores, and other retailers, this should help you out.

Related Videos

The app will use your phone’s camera to scan the barcode on the back of the card and then transfer the balance and other pertinent information to Amazon Wallet. Then, you can use the app in the actual store to redeem your reward points, cash, or free gifts. You can even check your remaining balance. It’s basically like Apple’s Passport app, but for almost everything instead of only a few things.

So far, Amazon Wallet is supported by almost 70 popular retailers, including AMC Entertainment, American Eagle, Coldstone, Dominos Pizza, Guitar Center, Sephora, and more. Amazon also has a website version of the app for when you really want to dive right in to check your remaining balances and upcoming rewards.

Currently, Amazon lists the app as a beta project on its Appstore and on the Google Play Store. It’s clear that the company isn’t finished with it and has more in store for future users. Right now, the Amazon Wallet app looks like a pale imitation of Google Wallet, PayPal, and other comparable mobile payment services. If done right, it could give the retailer a healthy look at how people spend money at physical stores.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Web
Amazon

Music

Just a month after its launch, Amazon Music Unlimited unveils a family plan

mqa universal music group deal hi res audio man and woman listening to

Amazon launched its premium music streaming service, Music Unlimited, in October, and it's already shaping up as more of an actual competitor to Spotify and Apple Music than its existing service for Prime members ever was. The only problem is that while both of those competitors offered family plans, Amazon Music Unlimited didn’t -- until now, that is.

On Wednesday, Amazon announced that a Family subscription plan was finally available for Music Unlimited subscribers. Like both Apple Music and Spotify, the Family plan for Amazon's Music Unlimited allows up to six family members to share one subscription, complete with individual playlists and recommendations. Where Amazon’s offering differs is the pricing.

Mobile

Think you’re buying a real Apple product on Amazon? Think again

Ordering an Apple product from Amazon? You may want to double check its authenticity. According to a new lawsuit from the iEmpire, a whopping 90 percent of the products sold by Amazon and purporting to be genuine Apple products are anything but. The lawsuit states, "Over the last nine months, Apple, as part of its ongoing brand protection efforts, has purchased well over 100 iPhone devices, Apple power products, and Lightning cables sold as genuine by sellers on Amazon.com and delivered through Amazon’s 'Fulfillment by Amazon' program. Apple’s internal examination and testing for these products revealed almost 90 percent of these products are counterfeit."

Yikes.

Mobile

Google Wallet and Android Pay details are coming today, and we have a few early leaks

Google Wallet POS

Google's senior vice-president of product, Sundar Pichai, detailed the inner workings of Android Pay at Mobile World Congress in March, but far less was revealed about the fate of Google Wallet other than the facts that it'd (1) live on in some form, and (2) integrate Android Pay as a payments source. Thankfully, the good 'ol New York Times dug a bit deeper and managed uncover more: according loose-lipped "people familiar with the situation," Google is prepping a slimmed-down, overhauled Wallet app for Android and iOS with a focus on peer-to-peer transactions.

The new Google Wallet, which is reportedly set for an unveiling at Google's annual I/O developer conference, will let users send money to each other directly from attached debit accounts. Wallet already supports money transfers, but they can take days depending on the funding source. Bank-based transfers will presumably be much faster.