Google Wallet requiring device unlocks for every tap to pay transaction

Abner Li | Mar 22 2024 - 10:33 am PT

In recent days, some Google Wallet users have noticed that they’re being prompted to always unlock their Android phone for tap to pay regardless of the transaction amount.

Top comment by Pamela M

Liked by 49 people

What I don't understand is that it requires me to reenter my PIN or biometric unlock even though my phone and app are ALREADY unlocked. Then when I reauthorize, the terminal may or may not accept it, so I have to drag out my card anyway. Something that should be making my life easier is actually making it harder. I may switch back to Samsung Wallet and see if it behaves better. The only reason I switched was because of Google Wallet's feature that allows adding your state ID, and even though mine is one of those states, it would balk at the beginning of the video process so I could never get that to work anyway.

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In some countries, you don’t need to unlock your device for “smaller payments.” For example, there’s a €25 threshold in Belgium, €30 in France, or €50 in Germany. It varies by country and issuer, while “you can only make a limited number of locked transactions before your phone asks you to unlock it.”

In the US and other countries, “Unlock is required for all transactions except for transit,” though I’ve found that Android isn’t as stringent as iOS. On the iPhone, you have to authenticate every payment session, while recent unlocks work for Google Wallet. (For example, if you kept your phone unlocked to scan your in-app supermarket QR code, you won’t have to re-authenticate when you tap to pay a minute or two later.)

Around February of this year, the related Google Wallet support article added a notice: “Coming soon, your credit and debit card won’t be charged for retail payments unless you’ve recently used a verification method, like your fingerprint or PIN. Some users may already need to verify to make a payment. If you’re asked to verify it’s you, complete verification steps on your device to make a payment.”

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In recent days, European users have begun to notice this change. Every transaction, regardless of amount, requires an unlock. This is arguably an improved security posture, and it’s better to be safe than sorry with payments. That said, people are finding this changed behavior to be overly disruptive and will take some time getting used to.