


Using the Apple Watch, you don't have to go through a Face ID or password check, but you do need a second free hand to double-tap the power key unless you have some seriously double-jointed digits. Traditional NFC payments aren't supported in this mode. Interestingly, there is an option to simply allow the phone to process a payment even when the screen is off and locked - but only for supported public transit partners, like the Clipper system here in the San Francisco Bay Area. You must double-tap the power key (which must be enabled in the Wallet app), at which point a Face ID check is initiated, and then you are allowed to pay. On the iPhone, there is no way to bypass Apple's two-step verification for tap to pay. Tap your fingerprint reader or enter your PIN, and simply waving your phone over an NFC reader will initiate a Google Pay payment whether you have the Pay app open or not - no additional action is necessary, and your default card will be processed. On Android, simply unlocking your phone is confirmation enough for Google that you want to buy something.
