Why would it be? It's ridiculous that more than half the places I go still don't accept contactless payments. Almost all of them have readers that accept it, and half of this group has a little sticky note in the chip reader that says "SORRY NO CHIP." Seriously?
At H&M this past weekend in Southern California they wouldn't allow contactless (Apple Pay) for payments over $100. It's arbitrary, annoying, and customer-hostile.
In places where chip & PIN is ubiquitous, the idea is that if your credit card is stolen, your card can't be maxed out without your PIN for verification. AFAIK the limits don't distinguish between contactless credit cards and Apple/Google Pay - maybe they should, since the latter typically does require some kind of authentication.
Not sure what's sarcastic about it. I only shop at places where I can pay by phone. More secure, faster, and I get an instant receipt from Google Pay no matter what. I carry no credit cards on me, and it's one less thing to worry about if I lost my wallet. And a lot of the time, I go out without carrying even a wallet.
You get a record of transaction, but it's not a receipt - e.g. I can't imagine any store will let you return an item if you show them a Google Pay transaction rather than an actual store receipt, be it paper or electronic.