PayPal teaches Androids to swap cash

PayPal has unveiled an Android widget that lets you transfer money to a friend or colleague simply by tapping your phone to theirs. At a conference in San Francisco, California, PayPal senior director of mobile Laura Chambers demonstrated this peer-to-peer payments system using two Samsung Nexus S phones. Samsung's Android- …

[Anonymous Coward]

Not for me.

I might get one when I can slap my phone on beer vending machine.

[sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD]

Shame...

Drinking beer from a vending machine....Get yourself a proper mint, mate!

[Anonymous Coward]

So who's waiting for the lawsuit

Pursuant to http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/08/apple_user_interface_patent_application/ which is 'kind of the same thing, right?'

[sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD]

Paypal...

is first before apple? w0000000t!!!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Great Idea

Every time I pay for something I think, "If only I could somehow involve a smartphone in this transaction. That would be a brilliant idea."

[Old Handle]

Don't forget Payfail

(And the inevitable cut they take.)

[DownUndaRob]

old hat

This is all old hat, we had near field communications many years ago.

It was called bluetooth.

[Timo]

I agree

This thing is absolutely perfect for those times when cash is just too convenient, and when credit cards work too well. I've never needed to plug in my cash or credit cards to recharge either.

[Nash]

NFC?

No F***ing Chance!

[Richard Rae]

I will admit

That I have never used paypal to send money to people. Cash works just as well and they have it there and then without fees.... or a simple BACS transfer if they are too far away or need the cash on their card... Free, fast and efficient.

Paypal, go back to where you belong which is Ebay!

[Sam Liddicott]

on the other hand

paypal lets someone give you money without you having to give them your bank details - take that 409-ers!

(Not everyone has a deposits-only bank account).

[Dr. Mouse]

Hmm

I've never had any problems giving my bank details (SC & Account#) to a friend for them to send me money. They are friends for a reason, plus you need a lot more than that to withdraw moneys...

And it's 419ers, not 409!

[Argh]

Are you sure you need more than that to withdraw money?

Tell that to Jeremy Clarkson

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/07/clarkson_bank_prank_backfires/

[Pink Duck]

Ock

Another instance of 'Ok', which reads in my mind as 'Ock'. It should either be the word "Okay" or the short form "OK".

[andy gibson]

no confirmation on "request"

When the girl puts in "10" there's no confirmation. Seems a bit odd.

[Bongwater]

Shadowrun

They already did this in Shadowrun, it's called credsticks! Now if we can just speak to each other via credsticks the world would be perfect, but I do not believe they ever got that far :/