Google Checkout & PayPal Battle to Lure Holiday Buyers

[engine]

Behind the pitched Cyber Monday battle of online retailers is the battle of the payment systems. Both Google Checkout and eBay’s PayPal unveiled generous promotions today to increase their share of holiday spending.
Last year, Google spent heavily on a promotion that offered users as much as $20 off every $50 they spent. Industry executives say Google’s system quickly accounted for more than 10 percent of transactions at sites that offered the deals, but its share fell sharply as soon as the discounts were withdrawn.

Google Checkout & PayPal Battle to Lure Holiday Buyers [bits.blogs.nytimes.com]

Are you tempted? Is it going to benefit your site?

[m0thman]

I already fiercely dislike PayPal (Actually, anything related to eBay!).

I do very much like Checkout. I've been using it myself as a merchant and have recently setup a customer website with Google Checkout a couple of days ago. The public seem to be happy enough because nearly £300 in sales poured in as soon as they were open for business.

Go Google Checkout!

[iblaine]

Google checkout is IMHO as successful as their Google radio ads effort...which is to say I'm very skeptical. Has anyone had success with google checkout?

[skibum]

I'll take the discounts (The GOOG offers on Buy.com great last year) but if they aren't coughing up something, there is no reason to use it. I think PayPal is capping at 17,000 discounts or $850,000 total $$ in "free" PayPal money? That $50 will be a little fraction of the hefty fees they've charged over the years for Ebay transactions.

[BananaFish]

Paypal and Google Checkout are two different things that are not even in direct competition with each other. But I guess the media can't resist putting a Google vs whomever spin on anything.

[fiu88]

We've never used either..

[mindspan]

What I'd like to know is when the heck Checkout is going to be available in Canada?! It's in the UK... what gives?

[ByronM]

Believe it or not PayPal support is better than Google. I can't stand googles automated everything responses and at least with PayPal i can escalate up until i get it fixed.

I offer google checkout as an option but i certainly wouldn't push it. There is a reason the service is cheap and whether or not they succeed depends entirely upon them adding in the features RETAILERS need by the time they DO start charging full rates.

[OddDog]

the strenght of checkout is that google can tie in merchants with adwords discounts ...

hoping to see it in spain as soon as possible ...