this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2025
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There is a payment app/bank account in Europe who doesn't need Google Play Services to fully works?

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[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 16 points 10 months ago (4 children)

In Spain a lot of baanks offers paying apps, apart there are also a lot of free EU paying apps, eg.

You can find more in AlternativeTo, there you can filter also by the country of origen.

https://alternativeto.net/software/paypal/?license=free&origin=eu

[–] SolarPunker@slrpnk.net 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Ty. Have you tested any of these? I've already read about taler but it was in alpha (or something like that)

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I don't use any pay apps, less because I don't thist these, but I don't thrust the privacy of mobiles with banking data. Apart I don't need these, I have all shops, malls, banks and all what I need in a radio of less than 1 km arround my home. I always pay in the most private way, with cash. Anyway, If I need one day such app, probably I would use one of my bank, not a third party one.

[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

This works for grocery shopping and so, but not so much for last-minute online transfers. You would need to physically move to your bank office every time you need to move money between bank accounts.

If I need one day such app, probably I would use one of my bank, not a third party one.

I think the issue is that many (most?) bank apps in the EU will simply refuse to work if your Android phone runs some custom firmware and/or lacks Google Play Services, as a "security measure". Until not so long ago, my bank's 2FA app crashed just because I was using a non-standard keyboard app.... (now it shows a big red warning, but at least it doesn't crash).

[–] Griffus@lemmy.zip 1 points 10 months ago

Was pleasantly surprised a few weeks back when Norway's biggest bank app released a hotfix because their recent release had issues with GrapheneOS.

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago

As said, I've the Bank and ATM at 5 minutes from home. No need of any app.

[–] BlackEco@lemmy.blackeco.com 2 points 10 months ago

I'm a Sumeria customer and they do not offer an alternative to Google Pay, in fact their cards can be used with it. You can send money to sellers and individuals (much like Wero) but I have yet to meet any seller that accepts Sumeria payments.

[–] hornedfiend@sopuli.xyz 2 points 10 months ago

I use OpenBank and they also provide their own nfc payments app on Android. It’s not a great piece of software, but it works and it successfully replaces Google Wallet for at least this part ( it keeps unselecting your card after every update).

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[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

AFAIK RaiPay is the only one in the Czech Republic, and it's available in some other countries Raiffeisenbank operates in. However, the main Austrian bank is one of the few institutions that haven't pulled out of Russia, so...

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[–] Sal@mander.xyz 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)

In the Netherlands, at least with ING, you can request standalone code reader and pay through any browser, like this:

[–] EveryMuffinIsNowEncrypted@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 10 months ago (7 children)

Speaking as an ignorant American who still happily uses card, I have to ask:

 

PEOPLE PAY FOR SHIT VIA QRCODES??? O_O

[–] Taalnazi@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

Those aren't exactly qr codes, but rather a scan code, different thing.

Though yes, one could pay using qr here. But I never do it because anyone can make QR codes. With those scan codes you need more additional verification, it's safer.

[–] potatopotato@sh.itjust.works 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Some enterprising individuals in the US figured out you could print out your Venmo QR and stick it to parking signs to get people to just send you money

Lol that sounds about right. As someone who works in retail (please kill me now), I can def tell you that people don't pay attention.

[–] EveryMuffinIsNowEncrypted@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Honestly, it might be I'm wrong about this since I don't live in a big city so maybe it's different in like NYC or some shit, but I'm under the impression that QR Codes have kinda been dead in the US. At least I hardly ever see one in the wild anymore. Mainly I presume for that reason. It's a prime way for malware injection.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

most places that use qr codes here have them on a display and change them every five seconds.

[–] Humorless4483@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

For payments between friends, we can request payments via QRcodes from our banking apps that friends scan with their banking apps. It’s secure as before you scan the QRcode, you can see the amount you’ll pay and when you scan it with your app, you’ll see the amount you’re going to pay and then you have to either use biometrics or your pin to confirm the transfer.

[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 7 points 10 months ago (2 children)

PEOPLE PAY FOR SHIT VIA QRCODES??? O_O

It's ubiquitous through much of SE Asia. Eg Thailand etc

That's something I did not know. Thanks for educating me!

[–] hithereiamaliff@lemmy.mynameisaliff.co.uk 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Yes, this is correct.. not just Thailand, but also Malaysia (where I’m from), Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, and Cambodia..

[–] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 5 points 10 months ago

Oh mate, you need to go to China and discover that shit! It was already everywhere back when I lived there in 2016 and I mean everywhere. Even the local dude selling flat bread for 50p accepted payment with his QR code. Amazing stuff, seriously.
I'm so sick and tired of being so far behind...

[–] Sal@mander.xyz 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Ahh, no no. We can pay with card with no need for an app. This code reader thing can be used for 2FA when making an online payment or logging into the banking site, so one does not need to use a phone app.

Well that's interesting! :O

I’m from a Southeast Asian country known as Malaysia, and yes, not only it’s a norm to use QR for making payments at shops and transfer money online here (we have a unified QR system called DuitNow QR), but also when paying at some shops in neighbouring Thailand and Singapore.

[–] utopiah@lemmy.ml 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Yep, in Belgium too. Can be directly at the cashier in a physical store, barber, etc or online e.g. food delivery. It's pretty efficient and AFAICT pretty low cost. Also does not have to rely on MasterCard or VISA.

[–] arch@feddit.nl 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

thanks a lot, i am also an ing customer and not aware of that. do you mind explaining a little bit on how it works?

[–] Sal@mander.xyz 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This scanner is for 2-factor authentication in the case that one does not want to use a phone app. When you try to log in, or pay online, the browser displays a unique QR code that the scanner is able to decode.

You would enter your pin into the scanner, scan the code, and the scanner displays a number. You then type that decoded number into a field under the QR code and your are let through.

It can be ordered for free here in the NL: https://www.ing.nl/particulier/digitaal-bankieren/mijn-ing/scanner

So, with this scanner as a 2FA method, the app is not needed. One can pay offline with a card, online with a scanner, and check account balances through any browser using the scanner to log in.

[–] arch@feddit.nl 2 points 10 months ago

Thanks so much. This is really helpful :3

[–] DieserTypMatthias@lemmy.ml 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)
[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Don't you still need to use the bank app for the 2FA? at least in EU it's becoming mandatory for banks to enforce some form of dynamic code verification, which often means you have to install a bank app for it. Which might not work on de-Googled custom firmware.

[–] DieserTypMatthias@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I'm a ČSOB (a local bank here in Slovakia) customer. Its 2FA app (SmartToken) checks for root, but not for unlocked bootloader.

[–] nameisnotimportant@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Curve

How is it ranking privacy-wise?

[–] DieserTypMatthias@lemmy.ml 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Idk. They require your phone number, so make your opinion on that. They're based in the UK though.

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[–] houjou@jlai.lu 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

curve app works without passing safety net. Im not sure if it works without play services tho.

[–] synapse1278@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

I am really pissed off because I use to be able to make payments with my phone using NFC just with the Deutsche Bank App, but they rolled out an update on 25th August and now it requires Google Pay and Google Wallet to function. Fuck that !

[–] Amberskin 4 points 10 months ago

If you are in Spain you can use Bizum.

[–] McMoody@lemmybefree.net 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

There aren't many available. It all depends in the bank implementing the whole stack instead of relying on the gwallet. I think there is a few German banks I don't recall the name and in Spain BBVA doing so.

As I don't live in either countries, I'm using Garmin Pay for the lesser evil.

[–] SolarPunker@slrpnk.net 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I think there is a few German banks I don't recall the name [...]

Maybe N26? Also, do you know Wero? (I'm reading the alternativeto page linked by the other user here.)

[–] Core_of_Arden@lemmy.ml 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Don't know, don't care - I use cash... :-)

[–] jherazob@beehaw.org 5 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Which is useless for non-local stuff

[–] RheumatoidArthritis@mander.xyz 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Then use your plastic card instead of an app

[–] SolarPunker@slrpnk.net 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Many people use to attach the card in the smartphone's back to mimic the built-in NFC, that's a good solution but sometimes you wanna check your credits and make some operations.

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[–] Core_of_Arden@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago

Which I do so rarely, that my simple Visa/Dankort easily handles that...

[–] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm confused by the question. I use my French bank app without problem since day one on my Huawei.

[–] SolarPunker@slrpnk.net 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You probably have a pseudo gplay version or microg

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