Payment settings with the phone on Xiaomi Redmi 9T

The modern smartphone has long ceased to be just a means of communication, becoming a universal tool for solving household tasks, among which contactless payment is one of the first places. Owners of the popular Redmi 9T model often wonder how to activate this feature so as not to carry plastic cards. The setup process may seem difficult only at first glance, but with the right approach it takes only a few minutes and greatly simplifies life in the store.

Before activating, you need to make sure you have all the hardware and software components you need. The smartphone should be equipped with an NFC module that reads data from terminals, as well as have an up-to-date version of the operating system and installed bank applications. In this article, we will take a detailed look at each step so that you can make purchases with a single touch.

It’s worth noting that some of the limitations may not be related to the device itself, but to the region of use or the policies of the banking institutions, and understanding these nuances will avoid disappointment and quickly find an alternative solution if the standard method for some reason does not work.

Testing of NFC hardware support

The first and most important step is to confirm that your particular instance of smartphone has the necessary communication module. The Redmi 9T model has been produced in various versions for different markets, and the presence of an NFC chip is not guaranteed for all versions, especially for devices designed for some Asian regions.

For quick checks, you can use a special engineering test menu that is built into the MIUI shell, which is a hidden section that allows you to diagnose components without installing third-party software, and if the module is present, the system will give a positive response, which will be a green light for further action.

In the call app, type ##6484##. The CIT menu will open, where you will see a list of all components. Find the NFC item in the list and click on it. If you click on the screen with the buttons for testing (for example, "Start Test" or "Firmware Version"), then the support is available.

If the NFC item is not on the list or an error message appears during the transition, the module is not physically installed on the board of your device. In such a situation, software activation is not possible, and using the phone as a means of payment does not seem technically feasible without replacing the motherboard, which is economically impractical.

Module activation and selection of security element

Once the hardware is confirmed, you need to activate the radio module in the system. By default, it can be turned off to save battery power, so manually turning on is a must before you bind cards. Without this step, the smartphone will simply not look for payment terminals.

To activate, swipe notifications down from top to bottom and find the NFC icon. If it's not on the first screen, expand the full list of switches. You can also find the path through settings: go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → NFC. Move the slider to active position.

A critical point for Xiaomi owners is to choose a Security Element, a virtual secure container that stores your card's encrypted data, and the wrong choice is the most common reason why a phone doesn't see a terminal.

• 📱 HCE Wallet – a software emulation method that uses the phone’s processor; suitable for most modern banking applications.
• 💳 SIM-card – using the operator’s SIM card chip; support from the mobile operator is required and often the SIM is replaced with a special one.
• 🔒 MI Pay is Xiaomi’s own service that may conflict with Google Pay in some regions.

In the settings NFC Click on the "Security Element" and select HCE Wallet.This is the option that makes it compatible with Google Pay and most third-party payment apps"SIM-The phone will try to read data through the operator, which in 90% of cases does not work for contactless payment in the store.

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After changing the security element, be sure to restart your smartphone so that the changes take effect at the system level.

Google Pay settings and map binding

The main payment tool for Android smartphones is Google Pay (formerly GPay), which, although renamed or limited in some countries, remains the same: the application creates a virtual card token that is transferred to the terminal.

Make sure your device has Google Play services installed and the Google Pay app is downloaded from the official Play Market Store.Use modified versions or download APK-Files from third-party resources may lead to blocking by the bank due to suspicions of security.

The process of adding a map is as follows:

1. Open the Google Pay app and log in to your account.
2. Click the "Add card" button or the plus icon.
3. Take a picture of the map or enter the data manually (number, expiration date, CVV-code).
4. Accept the terms of the agreement with the bank and the card issuer.
5. Go through verification through SMS-code.

Once successfully linked, the card will appear on the list of available means of payment.Banks can set their limits on the number of devices tied, so if the card is already added to another phone, it may be asked to untie there or confirm the transaction through a banking application.

Alternative methods: Mir Pay and applications of banks

With the changing rules of payment systems, users of Redmi 9T may find that standard Google Pay will no longer support cards of certain banks, in which case national payment systems and their own developments of financial institutions come to the rescue.

Mir Pay is the official solution for cardholders of the World. It works on a similar principle using the same NFC module, but requires a separate installation. Importantly, for Mir Pay to work, it is also necessary that the security element HCE is selected in the NFC settings.

In addition, many large banks have developed their own applications with the payment function of the bank. QR-code-wise NFC (If the bank has the appropriate license and technical capability, examples of such solutions include applications from Sber, Tinkoff and other major market players.

When using alternative methods, it is important to keep an eye on application updates, and banks often issue patches that improve the stability of the connection to terminals or add support for new types of tokenization.

The phone cannot see the terminal

Even after setting up correctly, there can be situations where the terminal in the store does not respond to the handover of the smartphone.This does not always mean a breakdown; often the cause lies in a software conflict or a physical obstacle.

One common problem is a thick case or metal plate case for magnetic holders in the car. The metal shields the NFC signal, making communication impossible. Try removing the case and trying to pay again.

Also, check if the mode is "Transport Card" enabled. In some versions of MIUI, when activating the transport card, the main payment method can switch. Go to the NFC settings and make sure that the "Main App" is installed on Google Pay or the payment system you choose.

⚠️ Note: If the terminal requires a PIN, enter it on the terminal, not on the phone screen. NFC usually does not request unlocking if the purchase amount does not exceed a certain limit (depending on the bank settings), or uses biometrics.

Unlike some other technologies, NFC on Xiaomi may not work if the phone’s charge has dropped below a critical level (usually less than 10-15%), as the system limits background processes to conserve power.

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In 80% of cases, the problem is solved by removing the case, restarting the phone or re-associating the card in the application.

Payment security and expert advice

Using a smartphone to pay is often safer than using a plastic card, and the transaction does not transfer the real card number, but a one-time token that is useless for fraudsters in interception, and paying large amounts often requires biometric authorization or entering a PIN unlock.

Do not install payment apps from unknown sources: Official Play Market and AppGallery stores check apps for malicious code. APK-Files may contain stylers that steal your card details.

Updates to the MIUI operating system and the banks’ applications regularly contain security patches that close vulnerabilities that could theoretically be used to compromise payment data.

⚠️ Note: Never pass a verification code from SMS And the bank never asks for codes from SMS to set up payment.

If you lose your phone, use Google’s Find Device service immediately to lock the screen and delete data remotely, and call the bank to temporarily lock the cards associated with the device.