Not all handsets, naturally Sprint and Google are starting with the Sprint branded Nexus S 4G handset, the latest and greatest Android handset, with their Google Wallet project now available for the public to download, set up, and use.. With NFC technology in the chassis, the marketing slogan of “tap, pay and save” is now available to the public.

Checklist time, you’ll need to be based in the US, on Sprint, and have the aforementioned handset. You’ll also need to be using either a Citi Mastercard (in which case actions will be set up to act directly on your account), or Google Prepaid Card, which does mean an intermediate step to load money into the account, but has the advantage of not restricting you to which “plastic” you use, and allows you to use Mastercard Paypass.

How about in the wild? Well, tech reporter Joanna has been paying for stuff around New York in the last week. The video is up at This Is My Next… and shows the NFC style payment many of us at Mobile Money Transactions are familiar with, but that Google is now hoping will take of around America and the world.

It is still early days, but with mention of loyalty and discount cards, boarding passes, and others, Google Wallet is hoping to be the digital destination for people looking for convenience and ease of use, assuming they trust Google. Given the regulation this space has, that shouldn’t be too difficult, and with the size of Google and their credit card partners, they can afford to make it attractive – witness the inclusion of a bonus $10 if you set up the Google Prepaid card as part of this launch. Given teh small numbers of people who can use Google Wallet at the moment, that’s not a hug expense, but expect more enticement as this small pubic trial / huge public beta (take your pick) progresses.

Need more information? The Google Wallet website will help you out, once you’ve looked through the obligatory YouTube launch video!