Chris Ziegler on Mobile payments aren’t ready for primetime, and technology is to blame

“Would you like to put that on your Bloomingdale’s card today?”

“No, let me try something high-tech here,” I replied. It’s the stock statement I make to sales clerks right before I try to pay with Google Wallet so they don’t get concerned or confused when I wave my phone instead of pulling out my wallet.

As usual, I turned the Galaxy Nexus’s screen on and held it flat against the contact pad right above the signature capture device, the one you use when you pay with a normal credit card. The Google Wallet logo appeared, the phone briefly vibrated (usually a good sign). The display on the kiosk changed from “Swipe Card” to “Processing…,” and I assumed we were off to the races.

But I waited. And I waited. And I waited. The clerk, obviously a bit annoyed with my antics, held an icy stare on me while we both twiddled our thumbs, waiting for his point-of-sale system to do something.