Google has finally release a product/service that is NOT stamped with a ‘beta’ moniker – Google Checkout. I am a fan of Google. I don’t believe they are turning into an evil empire, nor are they taking over the world. However, Google Checkout is a fine bridge to moving beyond monetization via B2B and embracing the wallets of consumers (though they will still be making their money from businesses at this point still).

What is it? (From the horse’s mouth)
“With Google Checkout™ you can quickly and easily buy from stores across the web and track all your orders and shipping in one place.”

How does it work?
Instead of checking out using the merchants regular shopping cart checkout method, buyers have the option to click the ‘Fast checkout through Google’ icon, whisking them away to complete the transaction on Google’s service. The benefit for consumers being they can store all their addresses and credit cards and track all orders in one place, and use them at multiple ecommerce stores. Sound familiar? Microsoft tried it with Passport (though it was primarily for identity management) and we have seen it’s adoption wane.

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