Google Wallet tap-to-pay willl soon only support devices running Android 4.4 KitKat
For most of you that actually enjoyed using your smartphone to make purchases at merchants like 7-Eleven or Jack in the Box, judgement day is approaching. According to emails being sent out — as well as Google’s newly updated Wallet support page — Google will soon kill Wallet’s tap-to-pay feature on Android devices running anything below Android 4.4 KitKat. It’s an exclusive club, one that, according to Google’s recent stats, only about 2.5% of active Android users belong to.
Even worse is there the chance that tap-to-pay will still end for you even if you’re running KitKat. Google listed off a few devices on their support page that will no longer have tap-to-pay functionality, regardless of the firmware they’re running. Those devices include the HTC EVO 4G LTE, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and the Nexus 7 (2012). Ouch.
Tap-to-pay will officially be cancelled for pre-KitKat devices starting this April 14th, 2014.