Google has also included a prepaid card with every Google Wallet. Once you activate the card via email, you can use it however you wish however, you can spend up to $100 without entering the activation code. Google then verifies this information with the credit card company and FirstData (which securely runs the backend of much of the financial industry). You simply enter the account number, type of card, and the relevant personal information. Activating your credit cardĪssuming you have a NFC compatible Android phone and have installed the Google Wallet app, the next step is activating a credit card. It should be available around the country, though we’re waiting to hear about more compatible handsets. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover have all signed on board and will be added to the app in the near future. Update: Google Wallet is being sent to all Google Nexus S owners via an over-the-air update soon and the field trial is over. However, Google is working aggressively to get more providers to join. Field trials for Google Wallet have begun in San Francisco and New York City and MasterCard is currently the only major credit card provider onboard, along with a bevy of retailers.