Google Wallet is hastening the migration to Host Card Emulation by killing off support for contactless payments in handsets that don't run the latest KitKat Android operating system.
In a brief notice, the search giant says that from 14 April devices with Android versions older than KitKat will no longer be supported for tap and pay.
Google introduced support for SIM-based NFC payments as far back as 2010 but the technology's reliance on cooperation from telcos - which was not forthcoming - hampered Wallet uptake.
Late last year Google moved to bypass the telcos by introducing support for HCE, a cloud-based mechanism for hosting NFC applications outside the Secure Element. Now the firm is cutting off all support for SIM-based payments.
In an e-mail to customers published by DroidLife, Google says: "On the newest version of Android, tap and pay works with different technology for an improved experience. As a result, starting on April 14, 2014, tap and pay will no longer work for devices with older Android versions."
Last month Visa and MasterCard followed Google and put their considerable weight behind HCE in a move that is widely predicted to give mobile NFC payments the push it needs into the mainstream.