When Google launched a payment system, Google Checkout, all the rumours that circulated were about Google killing PayPal. After the launch, it became clear that it’s just another payment processing solution instead of a “bank”, and since eBay won’t let Google in to pay for online auctions, PayPal’s core group of users is fairly safe.
I recently checked out Turn, a Cost-Per-Action advertiser that’s “still in beta” (it seems that everybody’s “still in beta” until they get acquired). They rely on a small piece of javascript placed in the “Thank you for your purchase” page. I diligently added the code and tested it on the Turn (before they let you advertise, they require you to “hit” the code at least once to make sure it’s working). There’s an enormous problem for them here: what happens if you disable the code after testing it? They’ll continue to send you plenty of sales, but never get credit for them. Even if they eventually start testing to see if the code is present, what’s stopping an advertiser from only displaying the code every 5th sale? It will look to Turn like the campaign isn’t performing very well, and the seller will beat the system. It’s a bit of a moot point so far, because in the last month my ad has had only 13 impressions and zero clicks.
Enter Google Checkout. This is the last piece of the puzzle for trackable Cost-Per-Action or Cost-Per-Sale advertising. Google doesn’t need you to add javascript code to your pages if you’re already integrated into their checkout system. They get real metrics on how many people are buying, and could even take their advertising cut directly from the merchant payment of each sale. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to Google Checkout in Canada.
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