Google pulls plug on hands-free payments

The mobile payments landscape just lost one competitor — for now.



Google announced that it was ending its “Hands Free” payments pilot as of Wednesday, Feb. 8. The program, which launched in the San Francisco Bay Area in March 2016, enabled users to pay for goods and services without having to take out their phone, VentureBeat said.



The service, which used a combination of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and location-based services, enabled shoppers to tell retail cashiers they would like to pay with Google. After providing their initials, the cashier verified shoppers’ identities by looking at the photo on their dedicated Hands Free profile.



Despite the shutdown, Google remains optimistic. “Since launching the Hands Free pilot last March, we’ve learned so much from our early adopters,” according to Google’s website.



“Based on all the positive feedback, we’re now working to bring the best of the Hands Free technology to even more people and stores,” the site said. “While we can’t share any more details about what’s next just yet, we encourage you to enjoy quick, easy checkout with Android Pay.”



In its efforts to “bring the best of the Hands Free technology to a wider audience,” according to the site, Google is said to be looking at some Hands Free payment-style options for its Android Wear devices, with Pay becoming a key part of the smartwatch OS, TechCrunch said.