Hey there,
I'm looking for an alternative to Google pay that'll allow me to use NFC payments etc. Thoughts?
I don't have a Google account, nor am I interested in opening one.
E: Just to clarify, the payment part would be convenient, more annoying is how I don't get to use a single place for my subway/gym/ticketmaster passes.
I doubt hardly if there will be one other than Apple Pay. These NFC payments are basically payment processors that have strict compliances and regulation which in trun only few vendors can enter thus sector.
It looks like you can read and clone NFC tags with the Flipper Zero, using it as a wallet of sorts for all your cards. But you need the card in the first place to be able to read it.
Still waiting for mine to arrive so I can experiment and confirm.
NFC payments need to be insured against fraud, and basically operate like a bank or payment processer like Visa or MasterCard. With such a high barrier to entry, Google, Apple, and Samsung are the only ones with the infrastructure and the interest in providing those services.
Google is providing a platform to make all those things convenient so that they can capture and control the data market. Setting up the infrastructure to support all of those things, and getting it out there for everyone to use, is phenomenally expensive. Google is essentially giving it away to most users, because the value is knowing which concerts you attend, which subway lines you use, and when you go to the gym.
Being intentional about your personal data security means recognizing that certain conveniences only exist to collect your data. It's like getting a free gift with purchase, and you want to know where you can just get the free gift.
Can't help with payments but if it's a loyalty card wallet you're after, zCard is excellent & allows you to add your own image/art for the card
Edit: just re-read your requirements, zCard doesn't use NFC. My bad, I should pay more attention. Still, it's a good app so i won't delete my reply just in case someone else finds it useful