What you need to know
- Google Pay users in India will soon be able to make UPI payments over NFC.
- The functionality will be limited to Pine Lab payment terminals, at least initially.
- It could take a few days for the feature to go live for all users.
Google has quietly introduced a new feature that will make it a lot easier for users in India to make UPI payments at a merchant store. As reported by Android Police, Google Pay is gaining the ability to let users make contactless payments via NFC.
Needless to say, you won't be able to make contactless payments if your phone doesn't have NFC or if it lacks Play Protect certification. If you are unsure if your phone has NFC, open the Settings app and type "NFC" in the "Search settings" bar. You should see an option to turn on NFC if your phone can make contactless payments. While NFC support was limited to mid-range and flagship phones a few years back, it is now available on the best cheap Android phones as well.
Once you have enabled NFC on your phone, unlock it and then tap it on the payment terminal. Once the Google Pay app opens automatically, confirm the amount and tap "Proceed." You will receive a notification on your phone as soon as the payment is successful. It is worth noting, however, that the feature is currently supported only on Pine Lab terminals.
Until now, users had to scan a QR code or type in the merchant's UPI ID to make payments. The new contactless payment option is not just more convenient, but also faster. Aside from UPI, you can also add a credit or debit card as a contactless payment method in Google Pay.
