User Voice: Baked-In Tap-to-Pay for WP

[RumoredNow]

Cast your votes here. I gave it 3 votes just now. https://windowsphone.uservoice.com/...port-for-host-card-emulation-hce-for-nfc-mobi

I feel this is important for our OS to be competitive...

 

[sinime]

I gave it 3 votes!

While I would be happy with more banks supporting Softcard... I realize it may not be an option for all users.

 

[RumoredNow]

Straight through the OS (like Android and iOS) security and access is more competitive and covers everyone. Unlike the hodge podge SoftCard solution which is really only US carrier controlled and only 3 of the major 4 anyway (no Sprint in the consortium).

SoftCard will never be an option on unlocked phone either, from what I can see. Either carrier unlocked off network or factory unlocked.

 

[Scott Leonard]

I'm missing something. I've never had a chance to use NFC to pay for anything yet and today at lunch I found that the restaurant had new terminals with the capability but it was too late since I had already swiped my card. I was planning on trying it out next time using my new HTC One M8 and MS wallet.

Is this not a capability on WP 8.1?

 

[Jazmac]

3 votes in.

 

[RumoredNow]

I'm missing something. I've never had a chance to use NFC to pay for anything yet and today at lunch I found that the restaurant had new terminals with the capability but it was too late since I had already swiped my card. I was planning on trying it out next time using my new HTC One M8 and MS wallet.

Is this not a capability on WP 8.1?

It is not native to Windows Phone.

I can only speak to the US. Here the Carriers got together and decided they would not support tap-to-pay as a security risk (read: they could not get their fingers in the pie without intervening). The US carriers as a whole moved to block it at the carrier level.

Google found a workaround and baked it into Kit Kat. They have a software authentication security protocol to protect against fraud. Apple implemented a fingerprint scan for security. Carriers have no legitimate reason to hinder these methods.

Meanwhile... When first moving to block tap-to-pay, 3 of the 4 major US carriers formed a consortium to implement tap-to-pay under their auspices and SoftCard (formerly Isis) was born. SoftCard quickly made an App for Android. One for iOS was not needed as iOS did not have NFC until this current generation of device.

Windows Phone SoftCard lagged behind for forever. It has finally released on Verizon and AT&T. The third party in the consortium, T-Mobile, has not yet seen a SoftCard App appear. Here's the rub. To use SoftCard, you need a "secure" SIM from your carrier. You also need a branded phone. This is far from ideal.

 

[Hypnopottamus]

Here's the rub. To use SoftCard, you need a "secure" SIM from your carrier. You also need a branded phone. This is far from ideal.

The Carriers here in the US are abhorrent. I always get unlocked non-carrier branded phones. I've used the NFC feature on my phone several times to connect to other accessories. I was looking forward to using my NFC for payments via Softcard. Guess I'll just stick to paying for things the old fashioned way!

 

[RumoredNow]

The Carriers here in the US are abhorrent. I always get unlocked non-carrier branded phones. I've used the NFC feature on my phone several times to connect to other accessories. I was looking forward to using my NFC for payments via Softcard. Guess I'll just stick to paying for things the old fashioned way!

Put your votes into User Voice. Maybe we can get a world-wide universal approach for Windows Phones.

 

[gMaesterUK]

I've given my 3 votes...

G.

 

[RumoredNow]

Thanks, people... It's gone from 9 (after my 3) to 39 votes. A small start, but a start nonetheless.

Talk about App Gap all you want, but a universal OS tap-to-pay is a very visible shortcoming for Windows Phone since ApplePay hit the streets. So far they are limited by hardware model compatibility (gen 6 only). Android is limited by OS version and as anyone who is familiar with their system knows, most older 'droids will never get updated to the appropriate level.

With Microsoft's philosophy of trying to bring everyone along despite the age of their model (and the number of models still in use from years past with NFC onboard), we could get more tap-to-pay ready phones out on the streets than the big two in one fell swoop!!!

 

[PepperdotNet]

Voted!

It's a crying shame that we've had NFC in our phones all these years but until Apple "invented" it nobody cared.

 

[RumoredNow]

Voted!

It's a crying shame that we've had NFC in our phones all these years but until Apple "invented" it nobody cared.

Don't get me wrong... I was concerned about this before ApplePay.

I do understand your point completely. Hopefully Microsoft does as well. :evil:

 

[sinime]

K, looks like we found a better cause, so I've removed the link that was here

 

[RumoredNow]

Maybe we would better served adding to this uservoice suggestion...

<edited out: we found a better fit - read on below or see the first post in this thread>

It's basically the same, but already has 575 votes!

I threw 3 votes in there as well. Two sides of the same coin really. We need a card/bank/carrier/SIM agnostic solution.

 

[sinime]

Agreed.

Gonna have to get my wife to throw her hat in the ring as well. She may not realize she wants it, but she will if she ever gets a chance to use it.

BTW, can you add 3 more votes every day, or just once?

 

[RumoredNow]

Good questions... I think you get more votes every day... seems to be the case anyway.

And I just checked... seems you can only add to something voted on by yourself already after 24 hours or so.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I was going to vote but saw the request was different than the thread subject. It's a request for MasterCard NFC payments. Someone else posted a link for VISA NFC payments. Does Microsoft really have to do something different for every card type? Anyway, not voting because I don't use either MC or VISA. I have them but only for the once a year (or two) situation where someone doesn't take AmEx. Don't want to squander votes for VISA or MC and have an AmEx vote show up and no votes to use for it.

If MS has to bake in for every brand of CC, I think that is a bad way to go. Something universal should be baked in with apps from any CC company able to use it.

 

[RichardBurt]

WinPho 8 had the ability to pay via NFC baked into it but there where no apps that could support it. With 8.1 Microsoft removed that ability and only let it work with secure SIM cards.

NFC payments work with Apple products because Apple uses the fingerprint reader as a layer of security for the transactions. Android uses phone-generated security to do the same. Microsoft decided to use secure SIM cards but the service providers have only just started issuing them.

Hopefully with WinPho 10 MS will remove the need for secure SIM cards and finds some way of providing the security required via software.

 

[RumoredNow]

I was going to vote but saw the request was different than the thread subject. It's a request for MasterCard NFC payments. Someone else posted a link for VISA NFC payments. Does Microsoft really have to do something different for every card type? Anyway, not voting because I don't use either MC or VISA. I have them but only for the once a year (or two) situation where someone doesn't take AmEx. Don't want to squander votes for VISA or MC and have an AmEx vote show up and no votes to use for it.

If MS has to bake in for every brand of CC, I think that is a bad way to go. Something universal should be baked in with apps from any CC company able to use it.

You've no Debit Card?

OK, found a better fit and am transferring my votes over here and updating the first post. https://windowsphone.uservoice.com/...port-for-host-card-emulation-hce-for-nfc-mobi

 

[RichardBurt]

https://windowsphone.uservoice.com/...port-for-host-card-emulation-hce-for-nfc-mobi

A much better idea and this fits in with my comment (just above).