If you are aware of the NFC position, to isolate the issue further and determine the best way to resolve this, I'd like you to try a few steps.
Ensure that NFC is enabled in settings. (Settings > Connected Devices > Connected Preferences > NFC) Ensure that Google Pay is the default Tap & pay sevice (Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Default apps > Tap & pay > Payment default > select the desired payment app) Clear the cache in the NFC Service and reboot the device. (Settings >Apps & Notifications > See all apps > Three dots in the top right > Show System > NFC Service > Storage > Clear Cache) Attempt to use the NFC service with another app or service like Android Beam (Settings > Connected Devices > Android Beam)