Update, Apr 16 (3:30pm ET): The issue has reportedly been resolved
Update, Apr 16 (2pm ET): The problem has been identified and a fix is coming soon
What you need to know
- Google Pay is apparently kicking off some American Express cardholders.
- Many users have attempted to add their cards back, only for them to be removed again.
- Google is apparently aware of the issue and is investigating the problem.
Google Pay has apparently been experiencing some odd behavior lately. It seems that some users with American Express cards have been receiving emails informing them that their cards have been removed from the payment app, as reported by Android Police.
There's no clear indication why this would occur, and many Google Pay users have been discussing the issue on Reddit and Twitter. Apparently, the problem will repeat for some even after re-adding the card to Google Pay, even though the notice clearly states that it can be re-added. On the best Android phones, cards would be automatically deactivated from the device if the screen lock is removed, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. The problem may stem from the bank itself, but at the moment, it's anyone's guess.
Android Police noted that only certain devices like the OnePlus 9 Pro ran into the issue, while other devices were not affected. They reached out to Google about the problem, and a company spokesperson informed that they were aware of the situation and to sit tight while they investigate:
We are aware that some American Express cardholders are having issues using or adding their cards to Google Pay. We are looking into the issue and will provide an update soon.
Meanwhile, Google Pay just launched its Spring Challenge, which essentially pays users to perform various activities on Google Pay like making transactions, sending payments, partaking in sporadic quizzes, and more. Not being able to use their cards for payments might make it difficult for some users to complete the challenge.
Update, Apr 16 (3:30pm ET) ― Google Pay should now behave normally with Amex cards
Android Police has been informed by an American Express representative that the issue should be resolved and that customers should be able to re-add their Amex cards to Google Pay without issue. And thus hopefully concludes the end of this saga with Google Pay.
Update, Apr 16 (2pm ET) ― Google has identified the problem
Google has reportedly identified the cause of the American Express bug that has been kicking cards off the app. The company made a statement to Bleeping Computer that the issue was due to an expired certificate:
Earlier today we discovered that American Express cards of some of our users got automatically removed from Google Pay due to an expired certificate. We are working to fix this and people will be able to add their cards back soon.
No timeline was given when users could expect things to get back to normal, but it hopefully shouldn't be long. In the meantime, you can continue trying to re-add your card back to the app if you're experiencing this problem
