#contactless payments

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. 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. 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. 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. Commuters on the LRT-2 can now pay their fares using contactless payment methods after RCBC, in partnership with Visa, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), and the Department of Transportation (DOTr), officially activated tap-to-pay at station turnstiles. The rollout is part of ongoing efforts to modernize public transportation and encourage the use of digital payments in the Philippines. PalawanPay has added Google Wallet support for its Visa Card, allowing eligible Android users to make contactless payments using their smartphones instead of a physical card. Read more in our articles including "Google Wallet NFC issue hits some China-ROM Android Phones" and "RCBC, Visa launch tap-to-pay at LRT-2 stations".