Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
- Google Wallet now requires unlocking your phone for every contactless payment, regardless of the amount.
- Android 15 might bring back secure one-tap transactions with new features for secure pre-emptive authentication.
Google Wallet users, particularly in Europe, are reporting a change in how contactless payments are authorized. Unlike before, regardless of the transaction amount, users are now required to unlock their phones with a fingerprint or PIN for every tap-to-pay purchase.
9to5Google first reported that many European users were taking to Reddit to express their frustration with this new payment flow. In some European countries, contactless payments traditionally function with spending thresholds, where transactions below a set amount wouldn’t necessitate unlocking the phone. While this change prioritizes security, it’s understandable that it disrupts the previously smoother user experience where smaller purchases didn’t require unlocking.
