Google Wallet NFC issue hits some China-ROM Android Phones

TL;DR: Some Android phones running China-specific firmware recently lost access to Google Wallet contactless payments after updating to Google Play Services 26.28, according to reports from users and Android communities.

Some Android phones running China-specific firmware recently lost access to Google Wallet contactless payments after updating to Google Play Services 26.28, according to reports from users and Andr…
Affected users said Google Wallet could still open and display their cards, but it disappeared as an option for default NFC payments, preventing tap-to-pay transactions.
More importantly, users began reporting on August 2 and 3 that Google Wallet contactless payments had started working again, including on devices that received no manual changes.
The issue appears specific to phones running Chinese-market firmware, not all smartphones made by Chinese brands.
Google says Wallet tap-to-pay requires a compatible device that meets its software and security requirements, NFC, and a supported payment method.

Some Android phones running China-specific firmware recently lost access to Google Wallet contactless payments after updating to Google Play Services 26.28, according to reports from users and Android communities.

The issue was reported on China-ROM devices from brands including Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO, OnePlus, and Honor. Affected users said Google Wallet could still open and display their cards, but it disappeared as an option for default NFC payments, preventing tap-to-pay transactions.

Reports linked the problem to Google Play Services version 26.28.33, which began appearing in late July. Some users temporarily restored NFC payments by rolling back Google Play Services to an older version.

However, claims circulating online that Google had permanently “banned” Chinese-firmware phones from NFC payments remain unconfirmed. Google has not publicly announced such a policy.

More importantly, users began reporting on August 2 and 3 that Google Wallet contactless payments had started working again, including on devices that received no manual changes. This suggests the restriction may have been a temporary bug, beta-related change, or server-side rollout rather than a permanent ban.

The issue appears specific to phones running Chinese-market firmware, not all smartphones made by Chinese brands. Google says Wallet tap-to-pay requires a compatible device that meets its software and security requirements, NFC, and a supported payment method.