Google Mobile Wallet Facing Headwinds?

Google’s head of consumer payments Vikas Gupta has resigned, AllThingsD reports. 


Separately, former vice president Stephanie Tilenius also has left to work in another position at Google. 


To be sure, it would not be unusual if an entrepreneur whose firm was acquired by Google eventually left to perhaps start another company. 


Nor would it be unusual if an executive gets moved to another post, at a firm as large as Google.

But some will wonder whether the changes mean Google has found it more difficult than originally expected to get traction for its Google Wallet initiative.

And, as part of that, Bedier will be taking on a larger role within Google Wallet, though his title will not be changing.

Gupta joined the Google about 18 months ago after Google acquired Jambool, a virtual goods payment platform where he was a founder and CEO.

Osama Bedier, Google’s VP of Payments appears to be assuming the leadership role for the Google Wallet effort. Nothing is easy where mobile payments and wallet efforts are concerned, it seems.
Nor should we expect a smooth, linear growth pattern. In fact, the normal expectation is for overheated expectations, followed by a period of disillusionment, before actual mass adoption begins.


Mobile payments and mobile wallet expectations likely are approaching a peak of inflated early optimism. The "crash" of expectations surely will follow, before the business actually materializes in robust form.