submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/15358017

Google Pay alternative?

Hey there, I'm looking for an alternative to Google pay that'll allow me to use NFC payments etc. Thoughts?

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[-] [email protected] 20 points 2 months ago

The open-source solution is affixing your credit card (or an "additional cardholder" card) to the back of your phone.

Google Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay are the ones I know of. My bank's app used to be able to do mobile payments but they stopped unfortunately. Banks bristle at the fact there could be open source solutions to anything in the financial sector, it could take away from their upcharging and parasitism.

[-] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

Security-wise that is significantly worse. Google Pay generates a random card number per transaction and isn't active when the phone is locked.

I keep my credit cards in an NFC blocking sleeves because the passive NFC can't be turned off. Someone could literally bump into you and cause a transaction.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Correct, but unfortunately I've found myself less likely to lose my phone than my separate wallet 🤦

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Bummer. Maybe there will be more options when Android 15 launches, it is adding the option to choose the default wallet app.

[-] [email protected] 18 points 2 months ago

[-] [email protected] 30 points 2 months ago

Oh cool, didn't realize USD has NFC support!

[-] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

Most modern credit cards have NFC chips for tap to pay.

[-] [email protected] -1 points 2 months ago

I've got two cards so equipped.. common knowledge at this point. Who was your response aimed at?

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

You seem to be confused about what NFC is and does. You don't need an app to use NFC. You can just use regular money via a bank card.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I wanted NFC for payments if that were possible. I also need NFC for things like gym access, where it appears they're using the NFC system to grant access. Adoption of that process unfortunately uses Google pay.

Want, vs need in a single question.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Apps in general can use the phone's NFC hardware if that's what you're asking. But they can't authenticate to the payment networks unless they have special credentials like Google pay. And they will generally detect whether your phone has been rooted, which gets in the way of degoogling. If you really want to degoogle, you have to root your phone.

I just don't understand why NFC is better than a credit card. Cards support contactless payment these days, so you just tap against the card terminal. My phone has NFC and I have some ideas for it, but am fine using a credit card for card payments.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I don't need it instead of my credit card, but I don't ride the train often enough to bring the NFC card along. Ideally it'd live on my phone for when I do need it.

The real issue is how tightly integrated with Google pay everything is. I'm simply looking for at least some of the features gpay has without using gpay.

If I could at least use my phone to NFC my gym as well as my train rides, I'd be very happy. Credit card payments, I don't care as much.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Maybe I'm just an old fart but this is baffling to me. Don't you have a wallet? Put your credit card in it.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I.. Do? What about the other stuff that uses gPay?

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Idk, maybe I'm missing out on a whole unseen world of exciting money sucking subscriptions and other services but I've never felt any use at all for NFC phone payments. My sister uses Apple Pay and it looks to me just like using a credit card. I generally am seeking to buy less stuff rather than more so whatever gpay does sounds counterproductive.

"Tightly integrated with everything" sounds Gigeresque, like 100 corporations with their hands in my pants. I don't see the point of degoogling once the infection encompasses that much of your life. Might as well let Google join the party too.

Btw I'd be interested to know if any of those NFC payment apps (not just Google) will run on rooted phones.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I guess you elected not to read the original question. I'm looking for something to support using my phone to access things like the gym and the subway, in a privacy respecting manner. If that's not possible, I can continue with my regular methods.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Enough USD can support anything. And for privacy all that phone app stuff doesn't come close. Why degoogle just to throw yourself into yet another spyware app? Anyway the obvious competitor is Apple. Or you could use an ordinary credit card instead of a phone.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

It seems like the question is ' can I use NFC without being tied to a major network?'.

Why bash that? Seems like a legitimate question to me.

I think the answer is you can't, with caveats, some prepaid cards might allow it, but you may not be able to do it on your phone.

I haven't had a bank account or credit card in a decade, so I'm with you on paying in cash. I also realize that doesn't work for most people.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Just smell on it and the cocaine goes into your blood

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Is it good shit or what

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Its better than crypto or corpo-crypto ("wireless transfer")

[-] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I'm not aware of any, but I hope to be proven wrong (edit: maybe PayPal - see below).

AFAIK, NFC payment apps have to be linked to your bank and have some kind of relationship with them. The app doesn't just "spoof" your card over NFC (which would make card cloning terrifyingly easy).

So, any other Google/Apple Pay app would have to be setup similarly and have relationships with banks and card providers/payment processors. I don't know of any third party services that have done that since there's likely a lot of financial regulations around it (just guessing on that part).

Just realized PayPal might be able to fill the same role? https://www.paypal.com/us/money-hub/article/tap-to-pay

I haven't tried that since there's always a line of people, and I'm too embarrassed to cycle through several apps to test if they work at any particular retailer. lol

You may also check to see if your bank's mobile app allows you to setup contactless payments.

But if you're looking for a FOSS solution, I doubt there is one for the reasons mentioned above.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

PayPal might be able to fill the same role?

Tap to pay can be set up either through a digital wallet app or through the phone’s settings, depending on the device. On Android, for example, a user would open the Google Wallet app

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Ah, so it depends on Google Pay/Wallet for that. Didn't read that far lol.

So I guess that's a "no" then.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

Cash

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Neat.

[-] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Why?

It's a serious question. What features are you missing, what do you dislike, etc.

Otherwise the answer might easily be: search for "NFC payment" in Google Play and that's not helpful.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Some number of apps are using pay for more than NFC payment, for ex some ticketing applications from concert organizers don't seem to offer an alternative to use of pay. I was also hoping for support of NFC payment somehow, but had low hopes because I expect there's PCI compliance or whatever.

Because I don't know the backend of the compliance process etc, not an I particularly interested in researching that, figured I'd ask in this community and find at least a couple of knowledgeable answers.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

People would like alternative to google snooping in on all their data.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

That's understandable, perhaps even desirable, but OP didn't include that in their requirements.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

There are card providers like Curve who let you add multiple bank, credit, and store cards to one card, and select which one you want to use through an app. I don't know whether you can use them through your phone separately though, as I only ever tried it through the Google Pay system.

Curve changed their terms a few years ago so that you can only have one payment card without paying a monthly fee though, so I haven't used them for a while. On top of that, changing the selected card through the app was too slow for when I was in a queue and wanted to use a store card and then a payment card.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Ok, thanks very much for this, I'll look into this app.

I'll go on the record acknowledging that inevitably someone is selling my records and habits, but key is knowing the data is siloed across a few different brokers. If someone wants my info, I have to hope adding a bit of a paywall across it will help a bit.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

With the Linux phone you gotta use your wallet more including tapping to pay with the credit cards

this post was submitted on 13 May 2024

34 points (90.5% liked)

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