Android contactless payments

Will Google Pay work without NFC

The introduction of the NFC system – Near Field Communication, has led to the emergence of applications for contactless payment for purchases from mobile devices. The introduction of the technology has provoked various questions regarding its capabilities and uses.

Programs like Google Pay work solely because of the presence of an NFC chip in devices. The latter acts as an analogue of contactless modules of bank cards. Accordingly, it is used to pay for purchases from a smartphone. In the absence of a chip, payment at terminals becomes impossible. You can purchase and install the module manually, but some devices do not have a suitable slot.

How plastic cards work

A payment card (or smart card) is a microprocessor placed in a metal case, which, in turn, is installed in a plastic rectangle of a certain size. The microprocessor has its own operating system, where the payment application of a particular service provider is recorded, which is then “combined” with the payment data of a particular client.

The data on the card is encrypted and closed with special keys, so it is impossible to change it later. In addition, it is possible to distinguish between the state of the card before and after personalization, which means that the possibility of falsifying any data after the card is issued is completely excluded.

By contacting the reader, the card receives the power necessary for operation, launches the operating system and the application installed in it, which, in turn, “communicates” with the reader. Contactless cards work in exactly the same way, only they receive power from the electromagnetic field of the reader at the checkout or turnstile.

For a plastic card, a certain standardized form was important so that the card could be read in any terminal, but with the transition to contactless cards, the form ceased to matter, which makes it possible to use the card as a “carrier” (a microprocessor with a payment application) practically any object, be it a bracelet, watch, key chain, plastic card or phone.

Payment by bank card in the phone

You can use Android or Google Pay without a contactless chip, but these payment methods are subject to five conditions:

• the smartphone’s processor operates at a processor frequency of more than one GHz;
• the device has at least 100 MB of free memory;
• there is free access to slots for SIM cards;
• smartphone supports mobile Internet and can connect to Wi-Fi;
• android version above 4.4.

The list of conditions varies slightly in different regions and depends on the bank and the payment system used.

Today, with a bank card issued in Wallet, you can pay for purchases in stores that accept MasterCard PayPass cards around the world, and Internet access on your phone is not required for this. Bank terminals at such points of sale are marked with a contactless payment logo (an oval logo with waves to the right), which is placed exactly in the place where the antenna is located in the reader, and it is necessary to apply the phone (where the antenna is located in its case) to this logo, even if it’s on the terminal screen.

The location of the antenna varies depending on the phone model. For example, in Philips Xenium W336 and Philips Xenium W5888 smartphones, the antenna is located just below the center of the back panel, but in HTC One it is located higher – behind the rear camera, since the phone case is metal, the radio signal passes through narrow plastic sections in the shape of the letter “T”. “.

Bank terminals equipped with contactless readers have 4 color indicators. The first means ready for work, the second means reading, the third means reading is completed and you can remove the card, and the fourth is the result of reading.

When paying with a bank card on your phone, just like when paying with a regular plastic card, you may be asked to enter a PIN code (which can be obtained by calling the bank) or sign a check. For purchases under RUB 1,000, neither a PIN nor a signature is required.

Payment for purchases via Android Pay is as follows:

1. The user must unlock the smartphone. It is not necessary to open the contactless payment app.
2. You need to bring the phone, bringing the back panel to the display of the terminal. The devices must be parallel to each other.
3. Sometimes when using debit cards, a store employee may ask you to enter a pin code or provide an electronic signature. This is usually required for large purchases.

Accordingly, the answer to the question “Do I need to unlock the phone when paying for Android pay” is positive.

Unfortunately, contactless payment via phone is not yet as perfect as payment by card. In stores, there are incorrectly configured terminals that do not accept such payments. There are terminals that do not support contactless payment at all. Therefore, for the time being, it is impossible to count on the phone as the main means of payment: too many things can go wrong.

Gradually the situation will improve, and as soon as in Moscow or St. Petersburg it will be possible to pay from the phone all day, we will write about it. In the meantime, treat paying by phone as a fallback just in case. Make sure everything is set up and working, and keep it in reserve. And check your local supermarket: it may already be accepting payment from the phone.

Phone payment function

PayPass for MasterCard or PayWave for VISA are technologies that allow you to make purchases with a plastic card with a magnetic stripe or a chip. If the plastic supports them, there will be a corresponding icon on the front side, which resembles a Wi-Fi signal, but only upside down.

E-wallets did not stand aside and joined the service. Made it by Yandex. Money and Qiwi. Joint projects were organized to improve the transaction. In particular, Visa and Qiwi merged. Their common project is Visa QIWI Wallet. This system works via NFC. The service is used through a computer or mobile device.

Chips embedded in plastic allow one-touch procedure. There are two types of such devices:

• RFID is a bank card system consisting of a chip and an antenna. The principle of operation will be as follows – radio waves emanate from the module, and the antenna establishes contact with the terminal. A distinctive feature is a large radius of action.
• NFC is a module that allows you to establish one-way or two-way communication. Cellular support just this system. A distinctive feature is the radius of action – 10 cm.

Functions of this type of transaction:

1. Payment in shops, restaurants and other catering establishments.
2. Registration of various types of plastic, including gift and discount ones.
3. Fare payment in vehicles equipped with an appropriate reader.
4. Control of certain types of other equipment.

In order to use a mobile phone as a carrier of payment cards, it is necessary to install a similar microprocessor into it, where payment applications can be written. Such a microprocessor in the phone is called the Secure Element, and the NFC module acts as a controller.

The Secure Element can either be built into the phone’s motherboard or be located on a detachable module: SIM card or SD card.

If the phone has the same microprocessor as plastic cards, then the same payment applications can be stored in the phone and contactless payments can be made by bringing the phone to the reader.

Cellular operators were the first in the Russian Federation to try to transfer the card to the phone, for example, MTS and Russian Standard Bank, Megafon and a transport card in Yekaterinburg, Beeline and a transport card in Kazan, etc. .P. To do this, they needed to purchase special SIM cards with a Secure Element, arrange with a transport company or bank to enroll a payment application on these cards, carry out the “contact personalization” process, and then exchange subscribers’ old SIM cards for new ones.

Consumers had to visit carrier service centers to change their SIM cards, and ended up with only one specific card in their phone, after which the whole operation would have to be repeated after the expiration date. However, if customers need several different cards and in different regions, then the SIM card will have to travel a long time before falling into the hands of users.

How to pay with a card from an Android phone

Before paying for purchases in the store via NFC, make sure that the technology is available and connected. To do this, inspect the phone for the presence of a stylized letter N. You can check whether the contactless payment process is enabled in the wireless settings.

To pay for purchases, you must also make sure that the phone meets the following conditions:

• version of the Android operating system must be higher than the fifth, but in some cases payment is possible from 2.3 or higher;
• the firmware installed on the device is official;
• no superuser rights;
• Device bootloader is blocked.

Most of the condition can be bypassed, with the exception of Root. Setting superuser rights negatively affects the device, as it becomes more susceptible to viruses. Also, official apps stop working on rooted phones.

No card

To pay for a purchase without a card, just install the Google Pay app and add a card. On many smartphones, the program is installed by developers. Open the app and click on the plus:

1. Enter data from the card.
2. Confirm the terms of use.
3. Enter the code received via SMS.
4. Create an electronic signature.

Remember that Google Play requires a screen lock to work. To pay, it is enough to bring the phone out of inactivity and attach it to the terminal. But sometimes there are problems.

Payment not going through

The problem is caused by the following reasons:

• the user forgot to unlock the phone — remove the lock, it is not necessary to enable the payment application;
• the near field communication module did not catch the signal from the device — repeat the payment process;
• the user did not wait for the payment to be completed — hold the device longer until a success message appears on the screen.

Sometimes the phone beeps when the money transfer is completed.

This means that the device sent money, but the payment terminal could not receive it. Please try again by asking the cashier to try again.

If the terminal does not respond to the smartphone, it means that the device does not accept contactless payment. Use the map.

Card declined

If a contactless payment fails due to problems with the card, the bank can help. Contact the bank that issued the card.

The contactless payment system is available in stores whose terminals support NFC technology. Before paying, you need to notify the cashier about the method of money transfer used. On cash registers that support bank transfers, there is a corresponding inscription. Contactless payments are marked with an icon resembling Wi-Fi.

After activating the terminal, the user must unlock the phone and bring it up to 10 cm away. The chip installation location must match the screen that displays the card pin code during normal payment. Hold the smartphone for 5-10 seconds. A sound signal, if it is turned on, as well as a green flag or check mark on the phone screen will notify you of a successful money transfer.

To provide the user with access to NFC in the absence of a chip slot, mobile operators have developed special SIM cards. They integrate a module for contactless payment. With their help, the owner of the smartphone can pay in stores.

You can get a SIM card from most mobile operators, if this is not prohibited for any reason. The initiator of blocking SIM cards with NFC may be the government. In some cases, certain cards cannot be connected to them, which is due to a ban on the part of bank employees or the payment system used on the linked card.

To pay by phone without NFC, you need:

1. Visit the operator’s sales salon and ask about the possibility of buying such a card.
2. Find out the conditions for using the SIM card and accept them.
3. Pay for the purchase and get the module.
4. Install the SIM card in the appropriate slot.
5. Download the application to pay from your smartphone.
6. Set up the program and link a bank card.

This simple algorithm of actions will allow you to use contactless payment on almost any device.

Benefits

Payment without using NFC is available even on outdated low-cost devices and in the absence of a chip slot. You don’t need any skills to install a SIM card.

As with modern devices, user data is protected from theft. When setting up the card, you must specify a pin code or create a graphic password. If fingerprint scanning is available or there is a face identification system, the user will be able to protect the device much better.

Disadvantages

The main drawback of SIM cards with a built-in module is instability. The chip installed directly into the device is much more reliable.

In addition, an NFC SIM card is not easy to find. And even with a successful installation, its performance is not guaranteed. Some banks do not allow users to pay with NFC received using a SIM. In such a situation, it is necessary to obtain the relevant information from a particular bank.

Most modern smartphones use a slide-out tray for SIM cards. In some cases, the chip may not work. Obtaining and installing NFC in the absence of built-in is a long process that requires the user to obtain a lot of information. Although you need to purchase a phone with a built-in chip to work correctly, you can also use an older device.

Remote map download

Fortunately, the phone is an interactive device that is always connected. Consequently, it is possible to remotely record payment cards and exactly those service providers that specific users need. To implement this function, the role of TSM (Trusted Service Manager) was formulated, which combines service providers (Service Provider TSM) on the one hand, and Secure Element chips in any form factors (Secure Element Issuer TSM) on the other hand. This TSM platform was developed by us at i-Free and certified for compliance with all necessary international standards.

TSM allows Secure Element holders not to integrate with every service provider and not to bring “card carriers” to all of them for contact personalization, and service providers not to connect to all operators and phone manufacturers. Cellular operators, handset manufacturers and service providers simply connect to TSM using a standard protocol and integrate with multiple partners at the same time.

What is a transaction?

Contactless payment – a form of non-cash payment, for purchases with one touch to the terminal. To do this, you can use a bank card or phone.

This method has a number of advantages:

1. High speed of settlement – the transfer is carried out in a few seconds.
2. You do not need to enter a PIN code for purchases up to 1000 rubles, for purchases over this amount, a digital value is required.
3. The absence of physical contact between the payment product and the device increases the operating period of the plastic card.
4. The chip of the device is not damaged, which also increases the service life of the tool.
5. The product makes it possible to pay for purchases using different methods, which is convenient, since modernized devices are not installed in all outlets, especially receivers are difficult to find in small towns.

How to install NFC in a smartphone?

Before installing NFC on your smartphone, it is recommended that you check the technical specifications of the device to make sure that the model supports the corresponding application. Only then will the module be activated. To do this, it is recommended to adhere to the following algorithm:

1. Go to your smartphone settings.
2. Go to the subsection with wireless networks.
3. Go to the “More” sub-item.
4. Click the NFC icon to activate it.
5. Set the permission to share data when making a transfer.

The TSM platform remotely controls the Secure Element chips in users’ phones through a secure communication channel, using the phone itself as a modem. The keys from the Secure Element are stored on special HSM (Hardware Security Module) servers, which are an integral part of the TSM, and without the participation of the latter it is impossible to gain access to the chip.

Based on the order of the service provider, TSM records (or deletes, for example, in case of loss of a smartphone) card data in Secure Element, and also allows you to remotely audit issued cards or, for example, view the current balance of fare cards or loyalty cards to display on the phone screen.

For which issued card, the user chooses to activate the payment mode, through the user application “Wallet”, which displays issued and available cards for issuance, and also accepts applications for issuing new ones. The service provider, upon receiving a card issuance request, transmits this data to the phone’s Secure Element via the TSM platform.

How to use?

During experiments, I noticed that if you don’t use Yandex Money for a long time, then at some point the application forgets that you allowed it to make payments and starts asking for a password and code from SMS again.

If we talk about how to use a card with contactless payment, then for this they follow the following algorithm of actions:

1. Look at the payment amount on the receiver to make sure that the entered information is correct.
2. If there is no error, bring the plastic to the terminal and touch the machine.
3. After the beep, the product must be removed.

If the purchase amount is up to 1000 rubles, then this operation is enough for the payment to go through. If the purchase amount exceeds the specified value, then a PIN code will be required. If the digital code is entered correctly, the money is debited from the account.

Wallet app

The “Wallet” application is not an electronic wallet or payment system, as, say, the well-known Visa QIWI Wallet and analogues. “Wallet” is primarily a universal interface to applications (cards) in Secure Element. Thanks to this approach, the phone becomes a “universal interactive plastic card.”

The main role of the application is to display issued or available cards and provide a communication channel between the Secure Element and TSM. Also, “Wallet” gives the user the ability to interactively manage the cards loaded in the Secure Element.

The application is pre-installed on compatible phones at the factory or added with a software update for such phones (at the time of writing, these are HTC One, Philips W8555 and Philips Xenium W336, and HTC One Dual SIM, HTC One Max, HTC will be added soon One SV, HTC Desire 500 and HTC Desire 600). Other models and manufacturers will appear later.

The first card that is available in the Wallet today is a prepaid bank card from TCS Bank. “Prepaid” means that the card is issued without concluding a written agreement with the bank, is not associated with your other cards in the bank, and also, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, has restrictions on one transaction (no more than 15,000 rubles) and the total amount of transactions per month ( no more than 40,000 rubles). When the user’s request for issue is fulfilled, the card is delivered to the phone within 10 minutes on average.

The bank card loaded into Wallet is not virtual, as much as we would like to use this term for an intangible card. After personalization and activation, the card really exists “physically” in the phone and interacts with the terminal at the checkout in the store in the same way as its plastic progenitor, and the banking term “virtual” is used for cards intended exclusively for payments on the Internet, and does not imply interaction with physical infrastructure and many other functions of card products.

Which side to apply?

If we talk about which side to apply the product to the reading device, then it does not matter. The instrument has a chip with a range of 10 cm. This means that it can be kept up to 10 cm away from the device and even in this case the operation will be performed. However, it is better to bring closer or attach to the screen. This is enough for the funds to be debited from the account.

Where to apply?

Where to apply plastic correctly is a question that arises among users who have never performed such an operation. The point of contact between the reader and the product does not matter. This is due to the fact that the chip can transmit information at a distance of 10 cm from the receiver. However, for better communication, it is recommended to bring the reader close to the screen or swipe the magnetic stripe across the reader.

Any card in any phone

Payment cards are not transferred to the phone, are not linked or duplicated, but are issued. To issue a card, the service provider must connect to the TSM and the TSM must have access to the Secure Element. Therefore, today it is still impossible to issue any card to any phone, but the movement is going in this direction.

Interest is observed among all participants in the process: phone manufacturers who need new interesting functionality, and cellular operators, and service providers who need a new audience, and, most importantly, users who are tired of the heaviness of plastic cards in their wallets. Issuing cards to your phone will soon become as commonplace as taking photos or browsing the Internet.

Lyricist: Konstantin Savchenko

Option on Android

Contactless payment by phone has become a common procedure. Many gadget manufacturers allow you to connect this feature. The main thing is to know how to do it.

On Xiaomi

The module is not built into every flagship of the Xiaomi line. This means that some gadgets cannot be used to perform this manipulation. If you need a smartphone to pay for purchases, it is recommended to purchase the following Xiaomi models:

• Mi Note series flagships;
• Mi Mix;
• Mix 2;
• Mi 5S;
• Mi 5S Plus;
• Mi 6;
• Mi 8;
• Mi 8 Lite.

Mi Max and Redmi flagship line does not support the app. This means that models such as Redmi Note 6 pro, Redmi 4X, Band 3 and others cannot be used for one-touch board.

On Honor

If you need a gadget of this brand with the corresponding function, then it is recommended to choose the following devices:

• 10;
• View 10;
• 8, 8C, 8X, 8 Pro;
• 9, 9 light;
• 7C;
• 5C.

Other smartphone options do not support the application. This means that model 7A and other flagships cannot be used for this operation.

The iPhone is also used for this type of payment. This can be done using the Apple Pay technology, which is supported in the flagship and has been operating in Russia since October 2016. However, the function is not available for some gadgets of the series.

The following models support the program:

• iPhone SE;
• iPhone 6, 6 Plus and 6S;
• iPhone 7, 7 Plus.

Other cell phones of this brand are not suitable.

Payment failed

Deactivation

To deactivate the function, contact the bank branch. Notify the employee of the financial institution of your intention. After that, the specialist will perform the necessary manipulations. The disadvantage of this method is that a personal visit to the department is required, which is problematic when there is not enough time. In addition, there are often queues in the institution, which also causes inconvenience.

Holders of plastic from Sberbank can disable the application online. The operation is performed without leaving home or any other place where there is Internet access. To perform the procedure, proceed as follows:

1. Enter the client’s personal account.
2. Select the plastic to be operated on.
3. Disable “one-touch” payment.

Phone app

On Android

For smartphones based on Android, Android Pay is most often used. Benefits:

• high transaction speed;
• download from Google Play store;
• free download and installation;
• no hidden fees;
• high safety requirements;
• does not transmit information about payment instruments to reading devices;
• Android Pay is compatible with smartphones and other devices.

Disadvantages:

• a small number of upgraded terminals;
• set limits for transferring funds;
• a small number of partner banks;
• cannot be used on contact readers.