Samsung Pay is a new payment platform that is gaining much popularity and has continuously extended its tentacles to numerous devices, shopping centers and now banks. It is now expanding its partner ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access, and a choice for customers in the UK. Samsung Electronics today announced that its digital wallet, Samsung Pay, is now available to HSBC, First Direct and M&S Bank cardholders in the UK. This payment platform is easy to use, secured and has a wide reach thus enabling users to make faster purchases.
In the UK, Samsung Pay already supports MasterCard, Visa Card, and cards issued by MBNA, Nationwide and Santander with American Express on standby. Thus HSBC, First Direct and M&S Bank just joined the growing payment networks and banks which support Samsung Pay in the UK.
Conor Pierce, Vice President, IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland said that
“Since launching in the UK last month, Samsung Pay has provided our UK users with a simple and secure payment method that can be used almost anywhere they can use their contactless payment cards”, He added “We’re delighted to add HSBC to our line-up of supporting partners, helping more people to transform the way they pay for day-to-day items.”
Samsung Pay is designed to make paying with your device safe, simple and convenient.
- SIMPLE: Transactions on Samsung Pay is quite easy. All you need to do is download and install the Samsung Pay app on your smartphone and launch it with a simple swipe up from the bottom edge of their screen to bring up the last used credit or debit card. Credit cards, debit cards, and private-label credit cards (store credit cards) are compatible with Samsung Pay. You must authenticate user identity via any of the available methods (fingerprint, PIN or iris scan) and tap your device on a payment terminal to make a payment. Samsung Pay software update is now also rolling out to A3 2017 and A5 2017 devices and will become available on additional devices in the coming months.
- SECURE: Samsung Pay is very a very secured platform for payment. It uses an encrypted digital token to replace sensitive card information to prevent fraud. Mobile information and data are secured as Samsung’s industry-leading Knox security platform is built into the hardware and software of your device which provides real-time kernel protection and monitors malicious software and activities on your device for added security. If you are using the Galaxy S8 and S8+’s, you can use the iris scanner to authorise payment. Otherwise, fingerprint and passcodes work perfectly for other compatible devices. Samsung is assuring its customers that it is completely safe to make mobile payments on Samsung Pay.
- ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is accepted almost anywhere you can add up to 10 payment credit or debit cards.
In addition, Samsung Pay in the UK is designed with unique value-added services such as easy payment on Transport for London (TfL) services, pay as they go on London buses, London Underground, London Trams, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail, Emirates Air Line, River Bus and most National Rail services. These services are added to meet the specific needs of customers.
Samsung Pay is available on the Galaxy S8/S8+, S7/S7 edge, S6/S6 edge (via software update). Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ users can take advantage of the innovative iris scanner technology to authorise payments, providing a new layer of biometric security to ensure peace of mind. For now, Samsung Pay for Gear S2 and Gear S3 is not officially supported in the UK, however, it is active in other countries such as South Korea, India, and UAE. This feature should be expected soon on these smartwatches in the UK. Some users did previously report it working in the UK, but it seems that these watches were foreign imports.