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Unable to add ICICI Sapphiro MasterCard to Google Pay for Tap & Pay using NFC

Hey everyone!

I recently got my ICICI Sapphiro (MasterCard + Amex) credit card through the alumni offer. I tried adding the MC variant to Google Pay for Tap & Pay transactions through NFC using my phone. However, after entering the details and accepting T&C, I'm only getting the option of calling the bank customer care for verification. There is no option for OTP through SMS/email. I tried adding a couple of cards (SBI CC and Axis DC) that my parents have and for both, I got the SMS OTP option and I was able to add them. Has anyone else faced this issue, specifically with Sapphiro MC and GPay? I called customer care several times and they were of no help. I also faced the same issue while adding it to Paytm.

P.S. My phone does have NFC with contactless payments enabled. The mobile number linked to CC and GPay are the same. I've also set the default payment app as GPay.

Thanks!
 
Hey everyone!

I recently got my ICICI Sapphiro (MasterCard + Amex) credit card through the alumni offer. I tried adding the MC variant to Google Pay for Tap & Pay transactions through NFC using my phone. However, after entering the details and accepting T&C, I'm only getting the option of calling the bank customer care for verification. There is no option for OTP through SMS/email. I tried adding a couple of cards (SBI CC and Axis DC) that my parents have and for both, I got the SMS OTP option and I was able to add them. Has anyone else faced this issue, specifically with Sapphiro MC and GPay? I called customer care several times and they were of no help. I also faced the same issue while adding it to Paytm.

P.S. My phone does have NFC with contactless payments enabled. The mobile number linked to CC and GPay are the same. I've also set the default payment app as GPay.

Thanks!
If I'm not mistaken NFC in India works only with Visa variant of the card.
 
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If I'm not mistaken NFC in India works only with Visa variant of the card.
Do you any source for this? Because ICICI MC CCs are included in the list of supported cards for both Google Pay and Paytm.

Another thing perhaps I should mention is that this feature is also available on the imobile app and it works there. The issue is that you have to open the app every time and select the card before tapping on the POS machine. For GPay, you just need to unlock the phone, which is more convenient and I'd like to use that.

Lastly, my friend has the same card and he was able to add it to GPay so I'm completely stumped as to what the issue could possibly be.
 
Do you any source for this? Because ICICI MC CCs are included in the list of supported cards for both Google Pay and Paytm.

Another thing perhaps I should mention is that this feature is also available on the imobile app and it works there. The issue is that you have to open the app every time and select the card before tapping on the POS machine. For GPay, you just need to unlock the phone, which is more convenient and I'd like to use that.

Lastly, my friend has the same card and he was able to add it to GPay so I'm completely stumped as to what the issue could possibly be.
I was readinf SBI Cashback card MITC sometime back and it was mentioned there that NFC only works with Visa variant cards.
 
In theory it's supposed to work smoothly but from practical experience over the year, I've faced nothing but issues with tokenizing Mastercards in GPay. Either no OTP option is there, or OTP to verify and add card never comes from the bank or even after adding the card, OTP doesn't come when doing BharatQR transactions (but once tokenized, tap to pay works, thank God for that). Visa cards generally have no issue but Sundas Bank's Legend Visa CC was not sending OTP to verify and add for many months years
 
Can you post the screenshots of the app and screens. I am unable to see add credit card option in Google Pay
The tap and pay option in GPay is only available for android devices equipped with NFC. If you click on your profile picture at the top right corner you'll see the option below "set up payment methods".

Click on that, enter your card details and accept all the T&C. After this, you'll land at a verification screen, usually with several options (text/email/call). But I only get the call customer care option seen below:

WhatsApp Image 2024-09-25 at 20.53.43_41a58715.webp

Clicking on call bank takes me to customer care who has been unable to understand/resolve my issue so far.
 
Not true, I was able to add the primary sapphiro mastercard variant in gpay and use it for tap and pay successfully. @abhiram_santhosh
But I wasn't able to do so for my add-on sapphiro and was facing the same issue as OP.
Not sure how to resolve it..
Yep this is what I was talking about. Even my card is the primary card only and I'm unable to add it to GPay. I guess you had the text/email option on the verification screen.

Just another question, do you happen to remember how old your card was when you added it to GPay? This could be a new card issue but I'm highly skeptical since it's been over a week and I've been able to tokenise it on imobile.
 
Please go to icici netbanking cards section and manage tokens. Confirm you token for the card.
I've had a look at this and it appears that you can only delete tokens you've created on websites/devices, and not actually create the tokens themselves.
All the tokens I created on apps/websites and on device (through imobile) are visible here, so I can definitely tokenise the card in some cases.
 
Yep this is what I was talking about. Even my card is the primary card only and I'm unable to add it to GPay. I guess you had the text/email option on the verification screen.

Just another question, do you happen to remember how old your card was when you added it to GPay? This could be a new card issue but I'm highly skeptical since it's been over a week and I've been able to tokenise it on imobile.
15 days old hardly when i added it on gpay
 
In theory it's supposed to work smoothly but from practical experience over the year, I've faced nothing but issues with tokenizing Mastercards in GPay. Either no OTP option is there, or OTP to verify and add card never comes from the bank or even after adding the card, OTP doesn't come when doing BharatQR transactions (but once tokenized, tap to pay works, thank God for that). Visa cards generally have no issue but Sundas Bank's Legend Visa CC was not sending OTP to verify and add for many months years
I tried adding some of the cards my family had and these were the results (both GPay and Paytm):

1. SBI Visa Credit Card (Gold): Both SMS and email OTP was available, successfully added.
2. HDFC MC Debit Card (Easyshop Platinum): Same as above.
3. ICICI MC Debit Card (Titanium): SMS OTP option is available but it never arrives.
4. ICICI MC Credit Card (Sapphiro): Only call bank option is there.

It appears that ICICI is the common factor but I also suspect MC to play some role here.

What's worse is that the NFC tap and pay feature (through imobile) is also dependent on the POS machine used. During the few times I used my card, I observed that it doesn't work on Pine Labs but does so on Paytm machines. There are a few more I can't recollect right now. Of course, tapping the card itself directly on any machine will always work so I'm not sure what's the issue here. Don't know if this isthe case for the Visa variant, I'd be glad if someone could chip in here.

Lastly, it feels great to be heard on a platform when customer care and other forums weren't very helpful, so I appreciate everyone who's replied in this thread, thanks!
 
So far Mastercards credit from RBL and Mastercard debit from IndusInd given me OTP issues in GPay. Swiggy HDFC Mastercard working fine. Briefly IndusInd Visa had OTP not coming for verification issue, solved by replacing the card with new numbers.
 
I too have a Sapphiro MC, added it couple of months back. I just tried adding my Amazon Pay ICICI card, it failed and showed the error you are getting. Seems to be ICICI problem.
Interesting, well at least we've established that it's an issue with the bank. Customer care is either unaware about this feature or insists that everything is working fine so I guess the only way is to hope that the issue fixes itself in due time.
 
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