Jamba Juice and Jack in the Box are testing Google Wallet in a limited trial of the technology that lets customers pay for purchases and redeem coupons with their smartphones, executives at each chain said.

“Just like everyone else, we want to see how the user is embracing this technology,” said Stevie Liang, director of business systems innovation, for San Diego-based Jack in the Box Inc., “and to see if it has a future and if we should invest even more resources into it.”

The chain is promoting Google Wallet use at 35 restaurants in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas.

Google Wallet launched in September and currently accepts payments only from Citibank-issued MasterCards with PayPass, a tap-and-go-payment feature, and Google Prepaid Card accounts. For now, only Sprint’s Samsung Nexus S 4G smartphone supports Google Wallet. Google Offers, launched earlier this month, allows participating companies and consumers to distribute and use virtual coupons from Google Wallet.

Google said it’s working to expand the payment card brands Google Wallet accepts, and nearly all major smartphone makers are considering including chips Google Wallet requires in its new models.

Jamba Juice

Emeryville, Calif.-based Jamba Juice is supporting Google Wallet at 270 of its approximately 750 locations, including units in the Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington D.C. markets, said Robert Notte, Jamba Inc. vice president of information technology.

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