Samsung is yet to disclose publicly and in plain terms when the Samsung Pay would make its grand entry into the UK, something that is long overdue. This has generated a lot of rumours about the launch date for the easy mobile payment platform. Recently we brought to you information said to be from two Samsung reps that the Samsung Pay would be launched in the UK on May 16. That, at least, has given us something to hold on to while keeping our fingers crossed that it hopefully turns out to be true.
May 16 launch date for the Samsung Pay has again surfaced. This time around, a Samsung Rep responding to an inquiry by a PC Advisor reader, disclosed that the mobile payment platform will finally launch in the UK on the said date. That same date is said to have been offered by Samsung reps in conversations with fans on Twitter.
There are indications that Samsung is clearing the way to finally take the wraps off the rapidly expanding mobile payment service in the UK. The tech giant has updated the FAQ section on its website and it now lists UK-specific FAQs that border on the service. The FAQ section lists the UK banks that will support Samsung Pay. Interestingly, only HSBC, Nationwide and AMEX are listed as UK banks which will support Samsung Pay.
Samsung Pay was expected to debut in the UK with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ which were unveiled in March and went on sale on April 28. Samsung has launched the Galaxy S8 officially in the UK but the Samsung Pay isn’t available just yet.
Samsung Pay Expected Features & Rumour Round Up
Samsung Pay now comes with a combination of NFC (Near Field Communication) and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology. The MST technology is a new addition and it expands the scope of the service to a new dimension. Prior to this time, Samsung Pay can only be used on terminals which support NFC but now the payment app can be used on terminals which support the magnetic stripe card technology found on debit and credit cards.
Thus, users can make payment via their Samsung smartphone, smartwatch like the Tizen-powered Gear S3 and tablets and more than 30 million merchants locations worldwide would be able to accept the payment. Samsung is looking to expand the service the more and is presently in partnership with Visa card and Mastercard on the project, and is working to get major banks involved.
Samsung teases the payment system as being fast, and secure – more secure than carrying a credit card around. Your account number isn’t stored on the phone and all sensitive data are replaced with unique tokens. Payment Security is provided by Samsung Knox which is built on the Linux kernel and ARM TrustZone. Both platforms work together to prevent fraud and data theft.
Samsung is also said to have modified the payment app such that you don’t need a fingerprint scanner to authorize payment. Apparently, what users need now is a PIN. This latest move will open up the list of compatible Samsung models and devices, bringing in budget and mid-range models. This is aimed at gaining a foothold in developing countries where mid-range and budget phones are hot selling like wildfire. This feature is already being tested in India but we’re not sure it will be available in the UK when Samsung Pay launches.
Which UK banks support Samsung Pay?
According to Samsung’s Website FAQs section, only the following banks support Samsung Pay in the UK, at least at its inception. More banks will likely be added as the service rolls out. The banks are listed below.
- HSBC (Mastercard & Visa Credit and Debit Cards)
- Nationwide (Visa Credit and Debit Cards)
- AMEX (Amex Credit and Debit Cards)
Samsung Pay UK Release Date
Once again, we expect the Samsung Pay to go live in the UK on May 16. Samsung has repeatedly communicated that date to several individuals who had made inquiries on their website and on Twitter. Their latest move to have updated the FAQs section of their website to include UK-specific questions also points at an imminent launch.
Keep a tab on Tizen Experts for more details on this as they emerge. You can also join our mailing list, found at the bottom of the page, to have the latest news sent stright to your inbox.
