After months and months of brutal headlines about the loss of banking apps and development support for the platform, Windows Phone users have been handed yet another tough blow. Softcard, the contactless payment option present on Windows Phone, will soon be terminated.
A few days ago, Google went into a partnership with Softcard to presumably help Android’s mobile payment technologies match that of Apple’s own Apple Pay usage. This partnership had Google purchasing patents, intellectual properties and technologies from the provider as well as offering a commitment to the further marketing of the payment options among U.S. carriers. Upon news of this partnership, fear mongering Windows Phone users and fans immediately began the pitch of Anti-Google posturing. Questions about the fate of the technology on Windows Phone were brought into question, and today Softcard/Google answered.
While some may argue the business acumen of this move, there are still roughly 6 million Windows Phone users in the US that will now be left without a contactless payment option when one was already in place.
It would seem yet again, the Windows Phone team was out maneuvered and caught with their pants down.
Further reading: Google, Microsoft, Payment, Softcard, Windows Phone
