The study, dated April 17, was based on an online sample of 1,021 Internet users and experts and was conducted by Pew Research Center and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center.

Many mobile payment experts credit Google for moving ahead with mobile payments despite some public concerns about with such systems. Mobile payments using NFC chips inside phones are popular in countries such as Japan, South Korea and China, especially for transit fares and small retail purchases. Adding more NFC phones is seen as critical to U.S. adoption.

In addition to Google's work with Sprint on mobile payments, Isis, a joint venture of AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA, is set to launch mobile payments this summer in the U.S.

Google's Galaxy Nexus phone supports Google Wallet on Sprint and in its unlocked version, but notably not on Verizon's version of the Galaxy Nexus.

This new unlocked and contract-free Galaxy Nexus is a GSM phone that can be used on T-Mobile or AT&T.