The mobile payment industry may be in for a shake-up as Google is rumored to be exploring the acquisition of Softcard, a NFC mobile payment solution. The company founded by three major wireless carriers now has 200,000 retailers in the U.S. accepting its Android and Windows app mobile payment system.

Google has a similar service in Google Wallet, so the possible acquisition – for under $100 million, according to TechCrunch – is seen as a strategic move to obtain Softcard’s patents and existing retail relationships. Apple has introduced Apple Pay and PayPal is another powerful player in the mobile payment arena.

Softcard was originally called Isis and created in 2010 as a joint venture between typically fierce rivals AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile with the customer-centric idea “to centralize mobile payments around a single, easy solution,” according to PC Mag. The carriers “invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the venture,” which has struggled in recent months, laying off 60 employees – “anywhere from 12 to 30 percent,” Tech Crunch reported.

TechCrunch’s sources said the sale price could be under $100 million. A spokesperson for Softcard said the company was “taking steps to reduce costs and strengthen its business. This includes simplifying the company’s organizational structure and consolidating all operations into its Dallas and New York offices, which involves layoffs across the company.”

Google, for its part, went to great lengths to issue a ‘no comment’ response: “We don’t have a comment, background, deep background, off the record steer, nod, wink or any other verbal or non-verbal response to these sorts of rumors.”

According to PC Mag, Google is just one of a number of suitors for Softcard. PayPal, Microsoft, and even AT&T and Verizon are said to be interested, although none of the companies have indicated their intent publicly.