Google has come up with some pretty good ideas over the years. The latest one just might make your credit card obsolete... which is probably why MasterCard and, most recently, Visa have come on board. The idea is called "Google Wallet" and it's beautiful in its simplicity. The idea is that your Android phone can be embedded with a chip that allows for charges to be made just by waving your phone over a sensor at retailers.
It's a bit more complicated than that... but you get the idea. You won't see a huge push into this new area of commerce right away. That's because there aren't many Android phones out there with the right hardware, but that is only a matter of time. It is expected that by Spring 2012 you will really start to see this take off. You will need both a phone capable of using the feature and a retailer with a receiver for it, but as these types of things tend to do, look for the evolution to progress steadily.
Oh, and you have to input a code every time you charge using the phone, so it's not like losing your phone will mean someone can go crazy with buying things in your name. Personally I like the idea. I'm pretty much down to using one or 2 cards now and they are the main reason I carry a wallet. If I could just stuff my driver's license and my phone in my pocket, I'd be a much happier guy.
Plan on hearing more about Google Wallet as it hits the mainstream press in the very near future.
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