Not all Windows Phones are certified for NFC Payments

While it was news that even one Windows Phone in USA could use tap to pay, it turns out that not all Windows Phone owners will be able to take advantage of this feature even when it rolls out publicly, even if your phone has NFC.

MasterCard’s approved list of HCE-enabled devices show only a few devices certified, including:

• Lumia 640 XL (non-LTE)
• Lumia 650
• Lumia 650 Dual SIM
• Lumia 950
• Lumia 950 Dual SIM
• Lumia 950 XL
• Lumia 950 XL Dual SIM

If you have a Lumia 1520 for example you are out of luck, despite the great specs of the handset.

The need for the devices to go through an approval process means that in some ways Windows Phone users will remain at both the whim of the OEM and the banks when it comes to testing and certification, which is generally not good news. Hopefully OEMs like HP and Acer will go through this process at least with their higher end devices.

With the Lumia 640 still the most popular handset in USA (and not on that list) do our readers feel cheated? Let us know below.