Google is trying to increase usage of Google Checkout by encouraging donations to environmental non-profits. The hook is to get friends and family involved and to let donors see how their contributions grow. Here's how it works:
Starting today, you can use Google Checkout to make a contribution to an environmental non-profit on behalf of friends and family. Your donation will be indicated as a marker (using your zip or postal code) on a personal view of Google Maps. If the people you donated on behalf of follow your example and donate, they will be added to your map as well. And when your friends donate on behalf of others, their donations will also appear on your map, so you can see how your generosity grows.
The campaign kicked off on April 22, Earth Day.
While encouraging donations, Google also gets to introduce its Google Checkout payment service to users who might not otherwise join. Once consumers register, it would seem logical they'd be more willing to use the payment service to shop online in the future.
