They were _possible_ in 2012 but getting everyone on board is difficult.  Google included NFC on the Nexus S in 2010.  The Nexus S was an atrocious piece of junk compared to its contemporary, the iPhone 4.  NFC did nothing to make using the Nexus S more pleasurable.  Android beam?  Nobody used that.  Google did not release the NFC-capable Wallet app until 2011, and at that time the integration between the app, the phone (still the Nexus S) and the payment terminals was ghastly.  Nobody used it because it was much slower than paying by any other way and half the time it didn&#x27;t work.  The 2011 Galaxy Nexus didn&#x27;t make things any better.  The NFC antenna was attached to the flexible battery cover and the spring-loaded contacts didn&#x27;t really work.  Google was still pushing Wallet but the merchants didn&#x27;t care because they weren&#x27;t getting a better price on transaction clearance and close to nobody had the hardware.<p>NFC was a complete basket case, and still remains that way except for Apple.