With these market expansions, Samsung Pay continues to both bring mobile payments to new regions of the world and expand to new markets in regions where the service is already available. Launches in the UAE and Sweden showcase Samsung Pay’s first markets in the Middle East and the Nordics respectively, while Hong Kong and Switzerland demonstrate continued commitment and strength in Asia and Europe.

“Less than two years ago, Samsung Pay came to life in Korea with a simple mission: To empower customers with mobile payments that are simple, secure and available almost anywhere,” said Thomas Ko, VP and Global General Manager of Samsung Pay. “Today, Samsung Pay is so much more. Our launches in different parts of the world demonstrate governments’ and consumers’ changing attitudes towards progressing to a cashless society. It is through the interest and support of our partners that we are able to answer their needs by offering Samsung Pay in these markets. We are incredibly proud of our rapid expansion and growth in such a short period of time, and look forward to bringing the most comprehensive digital wallet to all our users around the world.”

Samsung Pay on the Galaxy S8, S8+ and Gear S3

With the availability of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, users will be able to exclusively take advantage of several new features for an enhanced experience with Samsung Pay.

In addition to the existing authentication methods, Galaxy S8/S8+ users can make use of iris scanning as a new form of biometric authentication to access Samsung Pay, enabling a secure, yet more convenient way to pay.

To continue the evolution to a digital wallet, Samsung Pay continues to expand its availability beyond smartphones by introducing Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 in three additional markets. Beginning in April, Samsung Pay is newly supported on the Gear S3 in Russia, Sweden and the UAE, in addition to the US, Singapore and Australia, enabling an even more convenient way for users to pay with their smartwatches. Details on additional Gear S3 support elsewhere will be available soon.

Attaining the Vision of a Digital Wallet

Since the initial launch of Samsung Pay, Samsung has remained committed to the vision of building more than just a mobile payment solution through the introduction of value-added services tailored to local audience preferences.

Samsung Pay continues to enhance and add even more value-added services worldwide, bringing custom solutions and partnerships to users wherever they are.

With the latest launches, Samsung Pay now also integrates loyalty and membership cards in Sweden and the UAE, which can be added to users’ mobile wallets without requiring physical cards. In Switzerland, pre-paid cards will also be supported, allowing users to pay from their preferred cards outside of the normal credit and debit options.

Value-added services continue to be a critical differentiator for Samsung Pay in the mobile payments market. More custom services for users around the world will be made available in respective markets shortly.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and available almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC (Near Field Communication) with Samsung’s proprietary MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience. Samsung Pay is now available in 14 markets, including South Korea, the United States, China, Spain, Singapore, Australia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Sweden and the UAE.

“On behalf of Samsung Electronics, I thank everyone who voted for Samsung Pay. From the very first day, we in Samsung believed in future success of the Samsung Pay on the Russian market. Our partners and their professionalism and support played an important role in launching the project in the shortest possible time, – said Seif El Hakim, Head of Mobile Marketing in Russia. – We won’t stop at this and plan to expand the Samsung Pay network to connect every bank in Russia to Samsung’s service”.

The “Financial sphere” award in the “Payment service” category recognizes banks and companies without a banking license, that have announced and released a financial product that achieved significant results in the market within a year or more. Recipients of the award are determined by the expert council. The members of the council evaluate each of the nominees on a five-point scale, where 1 is the lowest score and 5 is the highest one. The applicant who receives the highest score becomes the winner.

‘Banking Review’ experts highly appreciated the achievements of Samsung Pay in the Russian market. Safe and convenient, the payment service was introduced in the country on September 29^th 2016. Today Samsung Pay is accepted for payment almost everywhere, where it is possible to proceed a payment via a bank card that uses a contactless technology or a magnetic strip. The service is available for holders of cards issued by the following banks and financial organizations: Alfa-Bank, BINBANK, VTB24, MTS and MTS Bank, Bank Otkrytie, Raiffeisenbank, Roketbank, Russian Standard Bank, Sberbank, Tinkoff Bank, Tochka and Yandex.Money. Samsung Pay operates in Russia with Mastercard cards issued by all listed banks, as well as with Visa cards of Alfa-Bank, VTB24, MTS Bank, Raiffeisenbank and Tinkoff. Another competitive advantage of the service as it was recognized by the ‘Banking Review’ is its three-stage security system.

The “Financial sphere” award for financial innovations was established by leading Russian banking media ‘Banking Review’ (“Bankovskoe obozrenie”) in 2012. Until 2016 it was mostly given to banks and was called “Banking Sphere”. Today, the award recognizes banking and financial products, solutions and methods of their implementation in order to find bright innovative and progressive approaches to a standard set of financial instruments and to attract the attention of the professional community.

Samsung is committed to making the online payment experience simpler, faster and more secure. Samsung Pay’s simple, secure checkout experience using fingerprint authentication gives users a more streamlined online shopping experience, eliminating the lengthy process of adding their payment card data, billing or shipping details each time they shop. Users with fingerprint authentication-enabled Samsung devices will be able to click the Visa Checkout/Samsung Pay co-branded button and touch the fingerprint sensor and the payment will proceed instantly, without needing to enter a user name and password for each purchase.

Samsung is committed to helping merchants improve their checkout conversion rates. Today, there is still more friction than necessary in the online checkout process. Working with Visa, Samsung Pay will change the game for online merchants by giving eCommerce the same streamlined checkout experience it brought to mobile devices.

“We are very excited to be working with Visa to offer simple, fast and secure checkout experiences to millions of Samsung Pay users on their mobile devices or desktop,” said Injong Rhee, CTO of the Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics.” Our partnership benefits not only Samsung Pay users but also hundreds of thousands of online merchants who are looking for effective ways to increase their checkout conversion rates.”

“The days of filling out long forms or remembering usernames to make online purchases are continuing to wind down, as options like Visa Checkout’s open platform become accessible on hundreds of thousands of merchant sites and companies like Samsung see the value in simplifying the process for both consumers and merchants,” said Jim McCarthy, executive vice president, innovation and strategic partnerships, Visa Inc. “We are excited to extend the benefits of Samsung Pay from the mobile world to now also include online merchants, ensuring customers can pay everywhere Visa Checkout is accepted, on any device and in app.”

About Visa
Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world’s most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, pay ahead with prepaid or pay later with credit products. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/about-visa, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.

Apart from allowing users in India to simply tap and pay on the go using their registered cards, Samsung Pay has integrated Paytm as well as the government’s Unified Payments Interface into the app. Samsung has also created a unique digital payment ecosystem by partnering with a number of issuers and card networks. Our Card Network and Issuer partners include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI Cards and Standard Chartered Bank. Citibank India is a forthcoming issuer and its credit cards will be live on Samsung Pay shortly.

Samsung Pay is a highly secure platform as it works with three levels of security—fingerprint authentication, card tokenization and Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform Samsung KNOX.

To launch Samsung Pay, a user needs to swipe up on an eligible Samsung Galaxy smartphone, select the card, authenticate using a fingerprint or PIN and bring the phone near the Point of Sale terminal.

Samsung Pay works with Samsung’s patented Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology as well as with Near Field Communication (NFC). MST replicates a card swipe by wirelessly transmitting magnetic waves from the supported Samsung device to a standard card reader. Through MST, Samsung pay will work seamlessly on a majority of Point of Sale terminals in India.

Mr. HC Hong, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, said, “Samsung Pay is an example of how we continue to push the boundaries of innovations to make life simpler and better for consumers. I am confident Samsung Pay will redefine digital payments and contribute to Digital India.”

“When we launched Samsung Pay, our goal was to enable consumers across the globe to make payments that are simple, secure and accepted almost everywhere. Over the past year and a half, this vision has evolved into building a complete digital wallet solution, allowing customers worldwide to not only make payments but also use membership and transit cards, receive deals and rewards and more,” said Mr. Thomas Ko, Global GM of Samsung Pay.

With its ‘Make for India’ initiative, Samsung is committed to building tailored products and services, customized to meet the needs of Indian consumers. Samsung Pay provides a mobile payment option built natively on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), a payment system launched by the National Payments Corporation of India. The Samsung Pay UPI solution is powered by Axis Bank and facilitates peer-to-peer (P2P) transfer of funds between bank accounts on a mobile platform instantly. This is an upcoming feature within Samsung Pay.

Samsung Pay also allows Indian consumers to integrate their Paytm accounts into Samsung Pay, enabling them to pay by scanning QR codes securely, generating one-time codes for merchant payments and also do peer to peer money transfers.

Samsung Pay will also be available on the Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch shortly, allowing users to pay through their wearable device.

“Our insights show that convenience, security and acceptance are seen by consumers as the most important influencers when choosing among different digital payment options,” said Mr. Asim Warsi, Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India. “With Samsung Pay, we give our consumers the smartest way to make digital transactions by far. Samsung Pay is highly secure through the signature KNOX Platform, fingerprint authentication and tokenization. We have partnered with major banks and card networks to give our consumers the widest range of choices, and are working on bringing more and more partners on board soon.”

Samsung Pay is currently available on Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S7, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy A5 (2016), Galaxy A7 (2016), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017).

Since its launch in July 2015, Samsung Pay has rapidly expanded its service by supporting additional value-added features in multiple markets worldwide. With its launch in India, Samsung Pay is fully available in 12 global markets, including South Korea, the US, China, Spain, Singapore, Australia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Russia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Growth of Samsung Pay

This rapid expansion has been made possible by Samsung’s commitment to an open model of partnership and collaboration around the world, resulting in collaboration with about 500 global bank partners as of November 2016. Its continued support for both MST and NFC technologies has also enhanced adoption, enabling market access in countries that support either payment option. In India in particular, most retail shops already have regular POS machines with magnetic card readers, which are compatible with MST technology, making Samsung Pay particularly well-suited to the India market.

Consumers in global markets have increasingly embraced Samsung Pay. In Korea alone, over 2 trillion won (USD 1.76 billion) was processed by Samsung Pay in its first year, 25% of which came from online payments.

Beyond Mobile Payments

As Samsung Pay moves forward, it will continue to demonstrate to consumers that it is more than just a mobile payment service. Samsung Pay has rapidly expanded both the variety and availability of value-added services in multiple markets worldwide, adding support for various non-banking cards including gift card, membership, transportation and ATM to consumers. Consumers have been particularly enthusiastic in their response to these services, registering nearly 11 million related cards since their introduction.

Samsung Pay further supports a growing number of services relevant to each local market such as identity cards and barcode payment, with many more value-added services yet to come.

To know more about Samsung pay please visit: www.samsung.com/in/samsung-pay

“Samsung Pay is a robust mobile payment platform that not only supports the shift towards digital wallets today, but provides a conducive and future-proof avenue for secure e-payments in Malaysia,” said Mr. Lee Jui Siang, Vice President of the Mobile and IT Business Unit, Samsung Malaysia Electronics. “As Samsung has done with other markets, we have taken a customized approach to our launch in Malaysia, collaborating with key partners to turn swift and secure mobile payments into reality for our users. We are proud to call leading financial institutions and merchants our partners and to introduce Samsung Pay as the most widely accepted mobile payment service in Malaysia. We are working tirelessly to ensure that Samsung Pay is here to stay and this includes our future plans to boost the service through loyalty programmes.”

“We are pleased to bring Samsung Pay to Malaysia – a country which is embarking on an ambitious and exciting path towards a cashless society. Even as we launch this service, however, we must be mindful of how consumer expectations and needs are changing. More and more, consumers are not just looking for a payment service, but an upgrade to their wallets to create a truly digital experience for everyday transactions and activities,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global GM of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “We envision that Samsung Pay will continue to push the boundaries of what is capable with a phone, and create a truly mobile wallet. We look forward to developing and evolving Samsung Pay and bringing the benefits of this change to our users.”

Vijay Manoharan, CIMB Group Senior Managing Director of Digital Banking and Decision Management, Consumer Banking shared: “CIMB is delighted to work with Samsung Pay to further promote cashless payments and provide our customers with more digital platforms to make secure digital payments. Partnering with leaders in innovation and technology like Samsung further reaffirms CIMB’s support to encourage the use of digital payments, as well as CIMB’s commitment to our customers to make payments, faster and more convenient for them.”

“The Samsung partnership opens yet another digital banking channel that will enhance customer experience and engagement with Citi. Over 40 percent of Citi customers in Malaysia have shown a preference for digital banking. Our global network strengths combined with innovation and technology have enabled us to accelerate the implementation of digital initiatives within the country and see a steady growth across our retail and cards businesses,” said Federico Grigera, Head of Cards and Consumer Lending at Citibank Berhad. “Digitization has and will continue to transform the financial services landscape. Our plan at Citi in Malaysia is to continue to grow the stronghold we have in the digital space and to ensure that customer interactions and experience are truly remarkable. Our new digital banking environment is a commitment to ensure customers have a faster, more personal and revolutionary way of banking.

Maybank Group Chief Strategy Officer Michael Foong said, “We are proud to be the first bank in Malaysia to partner with Samsung for this digital initiative that will bring even greater payment convenience to our cardholders. Having been at the forefront in digitizing banking services in Malaysia over the years, Maybank will continue to cater to changing customers’ needs through innovative solutions that are simple, convenient and safe, in line with our objective of becoming a digital bank of choice in the region.”

“Standard Chartered is pleased to introduce one of many initiatives designed to make banking easy and convenient for our clients – Samsung Pay,” said Aaron Loo, Head of Retail Banking, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia. “We are rewarding clients, who are early adopters, up to 20 percent cashback for transactions done through Samsung Pay until 30 April 2017. New clients who sign-up for the Standard Chartered credit card will enjoy an additional RM 150 cashback.”

“In Malaysia, we are seeing an encouraging uptake of mobile payments among consumers with a growth rate of more than 40 percent over the past three years. The collaboration is therefore timely as we strive to deliver newer innovations to cater to the rapidly evolving mobile payments space. In this effort, we also look to accelerate the adoption of contactless in-store payments by providing more ways to pay simply, safely and smartly. Together with Samsung, we are excited to support and enhance the acceptance of mobile devices for commercial purposes as we move towards the further advancement of Malaysia’s payments industry,” said Perry Ong, Country Manager, Malaysia and Brunei, Mastercard.

“The launch of Samsung Pay in Malaysia will bring the growth of contactless payments in the country to the next level. Samsung Pay uses Visa Token Service which replaces cardholder information with a unique digital identifier without exposing sensitive account information,” said KB Ng, Visa Country Manager for Malaysia. “Consumers today are already embracing contactless payments, with over two million Visa payWave transactions conducted monthly and double digit month-on-month growth as of January 2017. A recent study that Visa conducted also showed that seven in ten Malaysians are ready to adopt mobile payments and we are confident this growth will continue to accelerate as we move in tandem with the nation’s aim of becoming a cashless society.”

As part of its efforts to provide a seamless experience for Samsung Pay users, Samsung has been actively engaging merchants, providing training to their cashiers and point of sale acceptance signs. To date, over 90 percent2 of merchants ranging from food and beverage outlets, fashion and lifestyle retailers, and supermarkets and department stores in Malaysia have adopted the system and are equipped to offer users the ultimate convenience in mobile payment. More merchants are expected to come on board soon. Along with participating banks and merchants, Samsung Pay’s existing support of loyalty card programmes such as B Infinite, Bonuslink and Sunway Pals in Malaysia will be joined by more loyalty brands in the coming months.

Samsung Pay’s launch in Malaysia continues a broader push towards introducing mobile payments in Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region, following recent launches in Australia, Singapore and Thailand. Samsung strives to ensure its services are tailored to local market needs and preferences. To that end, Samsung Pay has consistently introduced localized value-added services, such as compatibility with loyalty cards in Malaysia, public transport in Singapore, prepaid cards in Thailand, membership service in Australia and more. Samsung is continually exploring new features and is looking forward to bringing these to consumers in Malaysia and elsewhere.

In Malaysia, Samsung Pay is currently available for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5, Galaxy A5 (2017 and 2016) and A7 (2017 and 2016).

¹ Applicable card type varies depending upon issuer. Specific card types for each bank is stated in table below.

² PoS acceptance rate of Samsung Pay amongst local merchants, calculated based on prioritised top frequented merchants and brand names at the time of its Malaysian launch.

³ Subject to respective banks’ product availability.

In line with the Thai government’s national e-payment strategy, Samsung Pay staged its official launch today in the presence of its partners from both government and private sectors. Leading financial institutes and merchants were also in attendance to demonstrate that Samsung Pay is simple, secure and almost anywhere.

Since its early access release in the Thai market in October 2016, consumers in Thailand have warmly welcomed Samsung Pay. Samsung is excited to announce its official country-wide expansion, bringing Samsung Pay to many more Thai consumers.

“More than three months ago, we introduced Samsung Pay early access to the Thai market, giving people a mobile payment solution that is simple, secure and almost anywhere,” said Wichai Pornpratang, Vice President of IT and Mobile Communications at Thai Samsung Electronics. “During this pivotal phase, Samsung Pay has aligned with many notable partners. From the financial sector are MasterCard, Visa, KCC, Bangkok Bank, Citibank, KasikornBank, KTC and Siam Commercial Bank. Department stores and shops across Thailand have also supported Samsung Pay.Aside from compatible credit cards, the Galaxy Gift Prepaid Card by MasterCard, as well as a wide variety of distinguished membership cards, can be added to Samsung Pay for convenience upon checkout. As a result, Samsung Pay services have won a warm welcome from consumers. Thais have recognized it as a convenient and safe mode of payment. With Samsung Pay, they don’t need to carry cash or credit cards, minimizing their risk of theft. Moreover, we hope that Samsung Pay will play a big role in transforming Thailand in line with its national e-payment strategy. Our innovation will revolutionize Thais’ way of spending and usher them towards a cashless society.”

“We are very excited to be introducing Samsung Pay to the Thai market, as we strive to continue to deliver a robust payment platform and digital wallet to consumers around the world,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President of Samsung Pay. “As we did in other markets, we have taken a customized approach with our launch in Thailand, working with key partners to make quick and secure mobile payments a reality. We look forward to making our Thai consumers’ everyday lives as simple, convenient and seamless as possible through the introduction of Samsung Pay.”

Samsung Pay, an innovative mobile payment service, boasts three strengths:

1. Simple – Following registration, users can easily choose a payment card from their smartphone, use their fingerprint to validate their identity and tap their device on a payment terminal. Making a payment is as easy as that.

2. Secure – Tokenization is in place to protect users’ credit-card data, with digital identifiers or “tokens” generated to replace sensitive payment information for every Samsung Pay transaction. Additional security is provided through fingerprint authentication and Samsung Knox, which protects the device at both the hardware and software levels.

3. Almost Anywhere – Because Samsung Pay is compatible with MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology – the most widely-used credit card payment technology in Thailand – as well as NFC (Near Field Communication), any place of business that accepts credit card payments can also accept Samsung Pay. Users can add up to 10 payment cards to their Samsung Pay account. They can continue to enjoy the privileges and benefits their cards offer, without having to carry them around.

Including Thailand, ten markets around the world can now benefit from the simplicity, security and convenience of Samsung Pay. The service has successfully continued its expansion into Asia, with additional launches in Korea, China and Singapore, as well as Australia. With broader availability throughout the region, Samsung aims to continue delivering a robust payment platform and digital wallet to consumers around the world.

* Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more.

** Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

While wearable payments are just beginning to gain recognition among the masses, many industry experts believe that wearables will match smartphones as a strong payment modality within the next few years, thanks to their convenience in on-the-go situations.

Samsung has been at the forefront of this trend and has now made making mobile payments by wearable even more convenient through its inclusion, in select countries, of Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 smartwatch. Thanks to the Gear S3’s Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC) support, consumers may now utilize Samsung Pay, the company’s simple and secure service that can be used virtually anywhere, to make purchases without a smartphone.

Tapping Into Solutions

While making a Samsung Pay transaction is fast and easy, developing the technology to make it work was not.

To incorporate MST technology on a wearable for the first time, developers had to find a way to embed both MST and NFC antennas in the Gear S3’s small body, which proved to be a challenge on early prototypes. Furthermore, developers also had to ensure that the smartwatch’s battery was powerful enough to drive the service. After much trial and error, they finally found the optimal design.

In regards to usability, the hardware team wanted to ensure that Samsung Pay could be used intuitively on the Gear S3. But the sheer number of existing POS styles, combined with fact that each user has a different way of positioning the smartwatch on the terminal, made arranging the internal hardware components a big challenge.

After spending countless hours collecting data at various shops, the team was eventually able to create a design that enabled the Gear S3 to connect to the terminal regardless of the angle in which the user positions the smartwatch. Nevertheless, some sales clerks are still surprised to see the technology in use.

“I was recently purchasing a soft drink at LAX,” Shankar Narayan, Senior Manager, Samsung Electronics’ Payment Biz Group, begins his story. “After the cashier told me the price, I activated Samsung Pay on my Gear S3 and tapped it on the credit card terminal.”

“‘What are you doing!?’ the cashier enquired surprisingly. By the time he finished his sentence, the receipt was already printing.”

Simple and Easy to Use

To start using the service, users must first download Samsung Pay, which is accessible via the Gear Manager app, onto their Gear S3 and set up the companion app on their mobile device. Once a user registers their cards on their Gear S3, they will no longer require their smartphone to make payments. The user simply needs to long press the side button, enter their PIN, select the card they wish to use and tap the device on any point-of-sale (POS) terminal.

“Samsung Pay is known for being easy to use on a smartphone because of its swipe feature,” notes Jungyouel Bang, Senior Engineer, Samsung Electronics’ Wearable H/W R&D Group. “We wanted to replicate that simplicity on the Gear S3, so we added a button specifically for the pay service.”

Another benefit of Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 is that the service is compatible not only with Samsung devices, but other Android-running smartphones as well*.

Safe and Secure

One of the biggest concerns consumers have when it comes to making mobile payments is security. Just like Samsung Pay on mobile devices, Samsung Pay on Gear S3 uses the same trusted Samsung Knox security to protect personal payment information.

To enhance usability and convenience, developers made it so that a user only has to enter their PIN once to activate Samsung Pay. However, the service is locked when sensors embedded in the Gear S3 detect that the device has been removed from the wrist. As a result, the user must reenter their PIN each time the smartwatch is removed. This ensures that a user’s card information is protected in case the device is lost. Furthermore, Samsung Pay information can easily be deleted via the Find My Mobile website.

Additionally, Samsung Pay works on the Gear S3 in the same way it works on a smartphone—each service transaction uses an encrypted digital token to replace a user’s payment information. For added security, a transaction can only be made by long pressing the dedicated button on the side of the Gear S3. Because a transaction cannot be simulated by software alone, digital pickpockets cannot hack one’s information by way of RFID skimming.

“Nowadays, people are increasingly concerned about security, especially when it comes to mobile payments,” explains Sochang Sohn, Senior Engineer of Samsung Electronics’ Tizen R&D Team. “But when we describe our security architecture to someone who asks about it, their concerns are generally alleviated pretty quickly.”

Going Forward

As noted by Youngjin Choi, Senior Engineer, Samsung Electronics’ Payment Service Group, Samsung remains committed to developing intuitive innovations like the Gear S3 and Samsung Pay, which have the potential to add new facets of convenience to users’ daily lives.

“Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 is ideal for those small, on-the-go payments, when it’s inconvenient to carry a phone or wallet, as a smartwatch is something you can wear every day,” says Choi. “We feel that this is what sets our service apart, and we’re optimistic about its growing adoption and acceptance in the years ahead.”

* Compatible with select devices using Android 4.4 and later in select markets.

The “Samsung Pay on the Road” campaign required that the team cycle across Korea using only Samsung Pay to pay for their expenses.

Leaving their wallets behind, the participants began their four-day expedition on October 29 at Seoul Sports Complex in the nation’s capital. As they traveled the 560-kilometer route to the southern coastal city of Busan, they were able to personally experience all the benefits Samsung Pay has to offer.

For example, they were able to make direct payments, withdraw cash from ATMs, and use membership cards at various businesses, even in the most remote areas of the country.

“We really wanted to prove the point that Samsung Pay can be used virtually anywhere.” stated David Bitton, one of the team members. “So every time I saw a card terminal, I said to myself, ‘That will work.’ And it did—even at fruit stands and seafood markets!”

Another participant, Philipp Rosenbauer, believes that introducing the service to doubtful locals was one of the more satisfying aspects of the trip.

“As members of the Samsung Pay team, we already knew about the benefits that Samsung Pay’s wide acceptance brings to users, thanks to our MST technology,” he noted. “However, ‘Samsung Pay on the Road’ allowed us to experience the widespread acceptance first-hand. Being able to interact with merchants in local markets in the countryside, and watching the service work to the shop owners’ surprise was a fun and rewarding experience.”

In addition to exploring unfamiliar places and trying new things, the team was also able to give back to the community. Based on the distance they traveled during the cross-country trip, the employees were able to raise money to purchase new school supplies and equipment for Hyunpoong Middle School in Daegu, Korea.

The “Samsung Pay on the Road” team gets ready to start their cross-country journey. Pictured (from left) are Philipp Rosenbauer, Chul Song, David Bitton and Derek Shimozawa.

Derek Shimozawa uses Samsung Pay to make a purchase at a seafood market in Busan, Korea.

Philipp Rosenbauer enjoyed being able to introduce the mobile payment service to ticket counter staffs who had never used it before.

The “Samsung Pay on the Road” team took advantage of the many features of Samsung Pay throughout their trip, such as withdrawing cash from ATMs.

Derek Shimozawa uses Samsung Pay to order coffee at an observatory in Yeoju, Korea.

The “Samsung Pay on the Road” team takes a commemorative photograph during their trip.

With the new partnership, Samsung Pay is now available with seven major banks including Alfa Bank JSC, VTB 24 OJSC, MTS OJSC, Reiffeisen Bank JSC, Russian Standard Bank JSC and Yandex LLC.

To use Samsung Pay, customers simply need to open the Samsung Pay app and tap their compatible* Samsung device against the NFC or MST reader to make a payment.

Mr. Arkadiy Graf, Head of Samsung Mobile Russia, said, “Since September 28, Samsung Pay has provided our Russian users with a simple and secure payment method that can be used almost anywhere they can swipe or tap their payment cards. We’re delighted to announce the availability of Samsung Pay for Sberbank customers. With this partnership, Samsung Pay now covers 65 percent of all private bank accounts in Russia and 80 percent of the country’s urban population.”

Mr. Alexander Torbakhov, Deputy Chairman of the Sberbank Board, said: “Very soon credit cards will become a relic of the past. Smartphones and smart watches, that let users pay for purchases quickly and safely are to replace cards. Now Sberbank customers can use a convenient Samsung Pay service and make payments with a single touch of the smartphone, almost anywhere payment cards are accepted.”

More Than a Payment Service

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere that credit, debit and prepaid cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up on their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenization and Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.

No fees are charged by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. from any Samsung Pay users, emitting banks, acquirer banks and trading companies.

* Compatible Samsung devices currently include the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy A5 (2016) and A7 (2016). Samsung Pay availability with NFC payments will also be extended to additional devices including the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge.

Sberbank OJSC

Sberbank is the largest bank in Russia and one of the leading global financial institutions. Sberbank accounts for around one-third of Russian banking sector assets. Sberbank is a key creditor for the national economy and has the biggest share on the deposit market. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation is the founder and a principal shareholder of Sberbank OJSC. It owns 50% of its registered capital plus a voting share. The remaining 50% of the bank’s shares belong to Russian and global investors. Over 135 million people and 4 million companies in 20 countries are Sberbank clients. The bank has the largest network in Russia, consisting of around 17,000 offices and business units. The bank’s foreign network consists of subsidiary banks, branches and representative offices in the UK, USA, Central and Eastern Europe, India, China, Turkey and more.

“When we introduced online payments in South Korea last year, the service was well received by the market. Online payments accounted for more than 25 percent of the 2 trillion won in processed transactions, demonstrating that consumers may be actively looking for solutions to make their online experiences faster, simpler and secure,” said Thomas Ko, VP and Global GM, Samsung Pay, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “By partnering with Masterpass in the U.S. and rolling out online payments globally, we will simplify the online transaction experience by eliminating the need for customers to fill out tedious online checkout forms, remember long passwords or fumble for their wallets.”

“Mastercard is working to ensure that every one of our accounts is as digital as the people using them,” said Garry Lyons, Chief Innovation Officer at Mastercard. “Enabling our cardholders to use Samsung Pay to shop online via Masterpass is the latest example of our work – alongside our banks, merchants and digital partners – to deliver rich, innovative, compelling and secure ways to pay and get paid across all channels and devices, redefining commerce globally.”

Samsung Pay will provide consumers with a seamless online payment platform with benefits including:

• Express Checkout: Skip the process of filling out long online forms. With the express checkout solution, customers will be able use their Mastercard debit or credit cards along with the shipping information saved on their Samsung Pay account to quickly complete online transactions.

• Make Purchases from Any Device: Customers can make online purchases from a computer, tablet or smartphone while shopping on their favorite sites or apps.

• Secure Transactions: Security remains our top priority. When making online payments, a unique token is used in an encrypted form – not the actual debit or credit card number. Users can authenticate transactions using secure methods including a fingerprint scanner, which is built into Samsung’s mobile devices.

Samsung Pay also announced new features in the United States, including support for in-app payments and new nearby discounts and savings, marking one more step toward a true digital wallet. The announcements came at Money 20/20, a leading payments and financial services event.

Access to Deals at Nearby Stores:

Beginning in November, Samsung Pay users will be able to locate discounts and coupons for nearby stores and restaurants through the new Deals feature within the Samsung Pay app, and redeem these deals instantly. With a new refreshed look, and enhancements to user experience and design on the Samsung Pay app, users will be able to find and redeem instant savings easily and quickly.

New In-App Payments:

In November, users will also be able to use Samsung Pay as their payment option when they shop at select merchant apps.  Simply select Samsung Pay during check-out, and select from the cards loaded within the app to make an in-app payment. To start, in-app payments will be available for Samsung Pay users when they shop with Velocity, Raise, Fancy, Hello Vino, Wish and Touch of Modern, with more to come.

Partnership Ecosystem:

With the addition of its latest financial partners Capital One and USAA, Samsung Pay now supports over 500 banks and credit unions, representing over 85 percent of the U.S. debit card and credit card market.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and available almost anywhere* you can swipe or tap your card**. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience.

Samsung Pay is currently available in the United States on select Galaxy devices and wearables, including the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5, the Gear S2, and the Gear S3 next month.

* Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more.

** Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

And what an incredible year it’s been.

We’ve transformed an idea into the most widely accepted mobile payment service globally. We now have more than four million membership cards registered in the United States and South Korea, we expanded our global partner ecosystem and, soon, we’ll be bringing several exciting new features to our customers in the U.S.

While there are many successes to celebrate, the mobile payment industry continues to move forward. Here at Samsung, we’re committed to driving the evolution  by looking at more than just mobile payments.

Combining Technology with a Fundamental Challenge

Samsung Pay was born from the need to solve a simple problem: Payments are too complex. Between cash, credit and debit cards, loyalty cards, gift cards, coupons and receipts, there are too many things to squeeze into our wallets.

At the same time, smartphones have changed the way we live, work and interact with one another. We saw an opportunity to upgrade the wallet as we have traditionally known it by combining it with advanced technology solutions.

From Mind to Market – Turning Ideas Into Reality

Our mission for Samsung Pay goes beyond simply developing technology – we’re driven to create a holistic digital wallet experience. To do this, we need to change the way people think about making purchases.

It’s a hard task but I believe we’re on the right track. As we move forward, we’ll continue to improve our solution and bring more benefits to users, including new value-added services from our expanding partner ecosystem.

New Samsung Pay Features…

Value-added services are critical to making sure we’re upgrading the wallet and making users’ lives more convenient. With this, we’re incredibly excited to announce new features for our U.S. customers.

Knowing that our customers are already enjoying our membership, gift and loyalty cards and more, we are launching a location-based Deals feature. With this new feature, Samsung Pay users will be able to locate discounts and coupons for nearby stores and restaurants within the app and redeem these deals instantly. What I love about this feature is that it’s available to all Samsung Pay users across the country. With the introduction of Deals, we are refreshing the look of the app by making enhancements to the user experience and design.

We’re embarking on a global partnership with Mastercard to offer a seamless online payment and express checkout solution through its digital payment service Masterpass. With this partnership, Samsung Pay will simplify the online transaction experience in the U.S. by taking away the need for users to fill out tedious online checkout forms, remember long passwords or fumble for their wallets.

Soon, users will be able to make in-app payments by choosing Samsung Pay as their payment option when they shop on select merchant apps. It’s really simple and easy to use. All you have to do is select Samsung Pay during checkout and choose from the cards on file to make an in-app payment. We already have some fantastic partners for our U.S. customers to try out this feature, including Velocity,  Raise, Fancy, Hello Vino, Wish, and Touch of Modern, and we will continue to add additional partners in the future.

All you have to do is select Samsung Pay during checkout and choose from the cards on file to make an in-app payment. We already have some fantastic partners for our U.S. customers to try out this feature, including Velocity, Raise, Fancy, Hello Vino, Wish and Touch of Modern, and we will continue to add additional partners in the future.

…And New Ways to Make Use of Them

To achieve our vision for mobile payments, we must constantly improve our solution to meet the evolving needs of our users. That’s why we’re expanding Samsung Pay onto other devices, including the Samsung Gear S3 with both NFC and MST technologies.

Bringing Samsung Pay to wearable devices opens mobile payments up to more people, while simultaneously making it more convenient to make payments.

These features bring us closer than ever to a true digital wallet, and I hope that you agree after trying them out!

Global Expansion and Building Upon our Partnership Ecosystem

Something we always look toward at Samsung is bringing Samsung Pay to as many users as we can worldwide.

In line with this, I’m thrilled to share that by the end of 2016, we will expand the service to three new markets: Malaysia, Thailand and Russia. This will bring Samsung Pay to 10 countries by the end of the year and expansion will only continue in the years to come.

Our growing partnership ecosystem provides an increasingly ubiquitous payment experience. With both Capital One and USAA on board in the United States, we now support from more than 500 banks and credit unions, representing over 85 percent of the U.S. debit and credit card market.

A Wonderful, Exciting Year

We have great ambitions for Samsung Pay, as a tool and a solution that shapes our future mindsets and how we make every day transactions.

So, to our customers and partners around the world, thank you for joining us on this journey. We’re excited for what’s to come.

“Since its launch a year ago, Samsung Pay has redefined what consumers can expect from a digital wallet,” said Nana Murugesan, VP/GM of Service and New Business at Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung Pay has led the way for mobile payments in the U.S. by providing our customers innovative services they can use almost anywhere they shop. Our impressive growth shows that we are closer than ever to a world without wallets. We are excited to roll out more services and features that will allow the user experience and build enthusiasm for a safer, smarter and better digital wallet.”

Driving Toward a Full Digital Wallet Experience

Samsung Pay continues to add features and services to make it a holistic digital wallet that extends beyond debit and credit cards. In partnership with Quotient Technology Inc. [NYSE: QUOT] formerly Coupons.com Incorporated, a leading digital promotions platform, Samsung Pay offers users the ability to search, save and redeem coupons at select retailers directly within the app.

At any time, users can upload a membership or loyalty card from select retailers within Quotient’s partner network; including many of their favorite grocery, drug, dollar and other retailers. Users then view hundreds of offers and save the coupons they’d like to use, and, because the coupons are linked to a membership account, the savings will automatically be applied when they check-out with Samsung Pay.

With Samsung Pay, users can redeem gift cards from hundreds of the nation’s largest retailers, as well as earn rewards through merchants’ membership programs. As part of today’s feature announcement, Samsung Pay now also offers users with a convenient cloud storage feature to restore membership, gift, and Samsung Reward cards whenever they sign into a new device.

Growing Partnership Ecosystem

When Samsung Pay launched in the U.S. a year ago, it supported cards from four banks. Today, Samsung Pay works with over 500 banks nationwide covering over 80 percent of all debit and credit cards in the U.S. Samsung Pay continues to add banking and merchant partners in order to bring the simple, secure digital wallet experience to more customers across the country.*

Celebrating Samsung Pay’s First Birthday

To mark its one-year anniversary, Samsung Pay is offering users over $100,000 in prizes on 9/28. As part of the celebration, 365 lucky winners will receive a Gear S2, which now works with Samsung Pay. Currently in beta, Samsung Pay on Gear S2 works using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology allowing users to make a payment at any NFC terminal. Full entry details and rules can be found here: http://samsungpaybirthday.dja.com.

More Than a Payment Service

Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, can be used to make purchases nearly everywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up on their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments: fingerprint or iris-scanning authentication, tokenization and Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.
  Samsung Pay is currently available on select Galaxy devices including the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S7 active, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 active, Galaxy Note7 and Galaxy Note5.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and available almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience.

Source: Samsung Newsroom US

Four members of the team behind Samsung Pay discuss the service’s first year achievements, as well as what we can expect from it in the near future.

Principal Designer Sunghan Kim (left) contributes to Samsung Pay as a UX designer. Senior Manager Jake Kim (middle) manages Samsung Pay’s roadmap and features, and Director Seunghan Dan (right) is in charge of local partner engagement and supports in the Asia Pacific region.

Q. What has been the general response to Samsung Pay since its initial launch?

Jake Kim: Over the past year, we’ve launched Samsung Pay in seven countries, and the response has been overwhelming. One of the most common remarks we hear from consumers is that they’re satisfied with the fact that they can leave their wallet at home, since Samsung Pay works almost anywhere.

A typical merchant’s first experience with Samsung Pay starts with denial. “Sorry, we don’t accept mobile payments.” Then it turns into disbelief. “Did it really work?” Which then leads to an enthusiastic “Wow!” when they realize Samsung Pay works on their legacy point-of-sale (POS) terminals without any additional steps in the transaction process.

Q. What were the challenges you experienced when launching Samsung Pay?

Seunghan Dan: Competition is very fierce in the current mobile wallet market. Our original equipment manufacturer (OEM) competitors aren’t the only ones out there; many issuing banks and even telecom operators are investing a lot to launch their own mobile wallets. Building strong partnerships will be key to staying ahead. We’re constantly coming up with proposals that could mutually benefit both parties.

Jake Kim: Expanding Samsung Pay hasn’t exactly been a “copy and paste” process. We’ve found that many factors influence the payment experience including the payment infrastructure, regulatory framework and user preferences, which can vary from one country to the next. Maintaining consistency while adapting to each market has been one of our biggest challenges.

Sunghan Kim: One of the challenges for the UX team was to come up with a way to make Samsung Pay an easier and faster method of offline payment than cash and credit cards—consumers’ typical methods of payment. We also wanted to create an outstanding digital wallet experience while making sure it would be safer and more convenient. The second challenge is an ongoing one—to ensure Samsung Pay maintains it simplicity as we continue to add more value-added features and functionality.

Q. Are there any moments that were particularly memorable during this whole process?

Sunghan Kim: When we started, we established a task force of UX designers from various services. We spent weeks creating various user experience solutions and ideas for the first version of Samsung Pay. While brainstorming, our entire work space was completely covered in design proposals. During this time, my team members and I were excited about introducing a totally new digital wallet experience, but also nervous about doing something that had never been done before.

Jin Lim: For me, the U.S. service launch was especially memorable. I remember the day before we went live with the service in the U.S. All our team members were running around like crazy while preparing to open the service right before midnight. I will never forget seeing the traffic surge on our monitoring dashboard and realizing that those were actual users coming into system.

Principle Engineer Jin Lim of the Service R&D team develops and operates Samsung Pay features, and aligns the service with partners’ systems.

Q. Which markets have been the quickest to adopt the service?

Jin Lim: I think that the Korean market has been the quickest to adopt, partially because Korea, like many other Asian countries, is especially open to experimenting with new technologies. Also, there was a large number of Korean issuers who wanted to participate in the Samsung Pay launch, which helped to ensure that users would have at least one card that could be enrolled in the service. As a result, we had explosive adoption and usage growth in the first three months, which in turn, eventually convinced other issuers to partner with Samsung Pay.

Seunghan Dan: Singapore, a country with one of the most advanced financial infrastructures in the region, has been very quick to adopt as well. Competition there is fierce. The good thing, though, is that most Singaporeans know about the digital wallet and how to use it. We see this as an opportunity to quickly expand our value-added services in Singapore.

Q. Are there any advantages to Samsung Pay that are a result of the company’s position as a hardware manufacturer?

Seunghan Dan: Sure. Thanks to our MST technology, Samsung Pay is the only mobile wallet that can be accepted almost everywhere, whether the PoS terminal is contactless or not.

Jin Lim: Security is also another advantage. Samsung Knox and biometric authentication at the hardware level such as fingerprint and iris scanning really sets us apart from a competitive standpoint.

Sunghan Kim: The Samsung Pay UX team wanted to make the device itself (rather than an app) a digital wallet so the user could launch the service immediately. Collaboration with the device UX team made this possible. As a result, Samsung Pay can be launched with a single swipe-up action from the home button even while in sleep mode. It provides convenience to users and also gives Samsung Pay a competitive edge when it comes to usability.

Q. What can we expect from Samsung Pay in the near future?

Jin Lim: From an engineering standpoint, we are continuously working to improve Samsung Pay’s infrastructure architecture to increase service availability from 99.9 percent to 99.99 percent. We’re doing this by implementing a data center model which enables our service to be more reliable.

Jake Kim: We need to build on the momentum we’ve created and continue to build up more added value services such as membership, loyalty and transportation cards to achieve a more complete digital wallet experience. We’re also going to focus on online payment services and partnerships, as more and more customers are now shopping online.

Since its introduction, Samsung Pay has seen nearly 100 million unique transactions, and over 4 million Membership Cards registered. There are now more than 440 banking and merchant partners, and the number is continuously growing.

The infographic below illustrates how Samsung Pay, the most widely accepted mobile payment system, is working to rid the world of wallets and change the way people pay.

* All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

Samsung Electronics, today celebrates the one year anniversary of Samsung Pay, the most widely accepted mobile payment system, with about 100 million unique transactions in seven countries to date.

“Since its introduction a year ago, Samsung Pay continues to lead mobile payments by providing services that are simple, secure and virtually anywhere,” said Injong Rhee, CTO and EVP of Software and Services, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our ambition to reach a world without wallets continues to draw ever closer, and this strong consumer adoption signals a shift in behavior and demonstrates the continued enthusiasm for a safer, smarter and better mobile wallet.”

Global Market and Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay pushes to grow and provide enhanced services, making it a holistic digital wallet extending beyond just credit or debit cards. Users can add membership cards, gift cards and redeem coupons, and today there are more than 4 million registered membership cards in the United States and South Korea, providing more convenient and flexible payment experiences in users’ everyday lives.* Samsung Pay also continues to add banking and merchant partners across the globe, with more than 440 bank issuers currently supported by the service.**

Across Korea specifically, the market has processed more than 2 trillion won in transactions with more than 25 percent of the transactions made online. Nearly 11 million cards related to value-added services, including membership, ATM and transit cards, have been registered, demonstrating the clear shift in consumer behavior and benefits Samsung Pay brings to users in Korea.

More Than a Payment Service

Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, can be used to make purchases nearly everywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up on their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments: fingerprint or iris-scanning authentication, tokenization and Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE*: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.

Samsung Pay is currently available on select Galaxy devices including the new Galaxy Note7, Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5 as well as premium and mid-range options like the 2016 models of the Galaxy A5, A7 and A9.*

*Visit www.samsung.com/pay for the list of partners that support Samsung Pay.
**Availability may vary by each region and market condition.

Secure and easy to use, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere¹ that debit cards or credit cards are accepted. Samsung Pay allows users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphones at point of sale terminals, thanks to both MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) and NFC technologies.

Brazil joins South Korea, the United States, China, Spain, Singapore, Australia and Puerto Rico in the list of priority markets to launch the mobile payment service.

According to research conducted by FEBRABAN (the Federation of Brazilian Banks), mobile banking usage is on the rise in Brazil. In fact, it increased by 138 percent in 2015 with more than 11 billion bank transactions through smartphones, compared to 4.7 billion transactions in 2014.

“Samsung Pay reinforces the company’s focus to bring value to both consumers and partners by bringing innovative services to your smartphones,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global Co-General Manager of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “We are always exploring creative technologies and use cases to provide consumers with an immersive and holistic mobile wallet experience.”

“We are extremely excited that Samsung Pay is now available in Brazil. As the first market in South America to roll out our mobile payment service, Brazil will pave the way for the region’s adoption of Samsung Pay,” said André Varga, Product Director of Samsung’s Mobile Devices Division in Brazil.

Extensive Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers. Samsung Pay has partnered with major payment networks such as MasterCard and Visa to bring mobile payments to consumers. The service will launch with major issuers including Banco do Brasil, Brasil Pré-Pagos, Caixa, Porto Seguro, and Santander. Additionally, we are working with other bank partners including Banrisul, Bradesco, Nubank and Itaú-Unibanco, to make the service available to more consumers in Brazil. The list of partners eligible to offer this service is available on the website http://www.samsung.com.br/samsungpay.

More Than a Payment

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere that cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, consumers simply need to swipe up on their compatible Samsung smartphone, scan their fingerprint and make a payment. It’s that easy!
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenization and Samsung KNOX.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay will be compatible with a majority of existing and new payment terminals, allowing users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphone anywhere that allows payment by swiping or tapping a card with MST and NFC.

Samsung Pay will be available on the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy A5 (2016), Galaxy A7 (2016), Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6² and Galaxy S6 edge² beginning on July 19 in Brazil.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and works almost anywhere³ you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience. Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards and Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Please visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more.

¹Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

²Only with NFC ; MST is not supported.

³Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Electronics announced the launch of Samsung pay in the Ibirapuera Auditorium, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

(From left to right) Changhoon Yoon, VP of Samsung Brazil, Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro and Jeonghwan Kim President and CEO of Samsung Latin America.

Attandees checks out the Samsung Pay during the launching event in the Ibirapuera Auditorium, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Samsung Pay is the only mobile wallet that allows users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphones at terminals, thanks to both MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) and NFC (Near Field Communications) technologies. Samsung Pay will be available starting today on compatible Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S7  and Galaxy S7 edge with specific availability varying by local operator¹ in Puerto Rico.

“We’re excited to partner with Banco Popular to bring Samsung Pay to Puerto Rico,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global Co-General Manager of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “With Samsung Pay, you can shop in Puerto Rico right from your phones at retail chains and independent businesses – the stores you already know and love. With the widest acceptance, Samsung Pay works almost anywhere² you scan swipe or tap a card.”

Today’s announcement follows Samsung Pay’s recent launch in three new countries across three continents. In June, Samsung Pay began operations in Spain, its first market in Europe; Singapore, its first within the South East Asian region; and Australia, its first market within the Oceania region. These launches mark a significant milestone in the service’s global expansion, with a number of additional markets, including Brazil, Canada and the U.K., coming this year.

Extensive Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers upon its launch.

Currently, Samsung Pay has partnered with major payment networks such as MasterCard and Visa, and Puerto Rico’s leading financial institution, Banco Popular.

More Than a Payment Service

Samsung Pay, a digital wallet service from Samsung Electronics, is enabling users to make easy, secure payments right from their phone almost anywhere plastic cards are accepted.

SIMPLE: Samsung Pay is easy to use. Users simply swipe up from their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay at millions of merchants across the country.

SECURE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. Samsung Pay users are fully protected against fraud by card issuers, and merchants receive Card Present rates with no EMV liability shift.

ALMOST ANYWHERE³: Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment system. Samsung Pay works with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals. For more information on Samsung Pay, visit www.samsung.com/pay.

1 Samsung Pay is available to these smartphones with the Marshmallow software update. Availability of this update to specific devices is dependent on individual operators. Samsung Pay will be available soon for Galaxy A5 on the Claro network.

2 Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please visit http://www.samsung.com/latin/samsungpay/ to learn more.

3 Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Electronics announced today that Samsung Pay, the most widely accepted mobile payment system, successfully launched in three new countries, across three continents in three weeks, including:

• Spain, the first market to launch in Europe;
• Singapore, the first within the South East Asian region; and
• Australia, the first market to launch within the Oceania region.

The launch marks a significant milestone in the service’s global expansion, with a number of additional markets, including Brazil, Canada and the U.K., planned this year.

“Samsung Pay’s momentum is bringing us closer than ever to a world without wallets,” said Injong Rhee, CTO and EVP of Software and Services, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Consumers are seeking convenience, security and ease of use in a mobile payment solution, and these latest launches show how Samsung Pay is providing an even faster and easier experience to a broader base of global users.”

Growing Ecosystem and Adoption

Samsung Pay is fueling strong consumer adoption and a growing partner ecosystem. The service has processed more than $1 billion in transactions in South Korea since its launch less than a year ago, demonstrating the increased adoption and showcasing its position as a preferred service for making secure, convenient payments.*

Also since launching in the U.S. in September 2015 with four banks and support for credit, debit and private label credit card payments, Samsung Pay is now supported by 300 major and regional banks and credit unions. Value-added services such as gift cards, and membership and loyalty features have been added as well with more than 110 merchants joining Samsung Pay’s Gift Card program and more than 140 retailers participating in its membership and loyalty cards program.

More Than a Payment Service

Building on its extensive ecosystem, Samsung recently announced partnerships with both Citi for Asia Pacific and Ant Financial Services Group, parent company of Alipay, in China that further bolster Samsung Pay’s compatibility with payment networks and banks, and provide choice and flexibility to its users.

Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, can be used to make purchases almost anywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users simply swipe up on their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments: fingerprint authentication, tokenization and Samsung KNOX, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE**: Samsung Pay provides wider acceptance by leveraging both Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which allow users to pay almost anywhere a card can be swiped or tapped.

Additionally, Samsung Pay continues to evolve and expand its services beyond payments, now offering U.S. users gift card, membership and loyalty card support. This gives them easy and direct access to receive savings, rewards and other applicable offers all from their Galaxy smartphone. Users in other global markets can soon expect to see additional value-added services that enable them to make more than just payments in their respective regions.

Samsung Pay is currently available on select Galaxy devices including the new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5 as well as premium and mid-range options like the 2016 models of the Galaxy A5, A7 and A9.***

* Samsung Pay launched in August 2015 in South Korea and in September 2015 in the U.S. market.

** Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay will be available soon for Galaxy S6 and S6 edge on the Telstra network. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

*** Availability may vary by country and region.

Australia and Singapore Credit Cardmembers of Citibank, Citi’s global consumer banking business, will have the option to make payments across Australia and Singapore using their compatible Samsung mobile phones. The partnership marks a new addition to Samsung Pay’s extensive portfolio of major payment networks and banks, to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers in Australia and Singapore. Additional markets will be added to the network in the coming months. Citi Korea launched Samsung Pay in August 2015 and the service was launched by Citi in the U.S. in November 2015.

“We’re seeing significant global growth for Samsung Pay, and view our expanded partnership with Citi as a key to that continued momentum. With Citi, we’re extending Samsung Pay’s reach into Southeast Asia, giving cardholders an easier and safer mobile payment experience,” said Injong Rhee, CTO and EVP of Software and Services, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics.

“We are delighted to work with Samsung Electronics to offer our credit card customers a faster and easier way of making payments using Samsung Pay. Our value propositions are already best in each category and through this partnership, we bring added convenience to our credit card customers who can now simply use their mobile phones to tap and pay for their purchases. At Citi, we continue to prioritize our efforts to make banking easier for our customers by leveraging digitization and innovation. Samsung Pay is one of the many exciting digital solutions that we are progressively introducing to our customers to offer them a differentiated experience that only a Citibank credit card customer can get to enjoy” said Sergio Zanatti, Head of Cards & Unsecured Loans for Citi in Asia Pacific.

Samsung Pay continues to grow its partnership ecosystem with partners like Citi , to provide consumers with a mobile payment solution that is simple, safe and widely accessible. Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases nearly everywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments – Fingerprint Authentication, tokenization and Samsung KNOX.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE**: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and works almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations**. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience. Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards and Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more.

* Availability may vary by country and region.

** Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Pay will be available starting today on compatible Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, with specific availability varying by local operator².

“Today’s launch of Samsung Pay offers more than a secure and convenient way for Samsung smartphone owners to pay,” said Prasad Gokhale, Vice President, Mobile Division, Samsung Australia. “It’s the next development for Australians who use their smartphone as the central device to live, organise and enjoy their lives.

“Australia is a market of early technology adopters and by providing a platform open to all partners, ranging from government to financial institutions and retailers, while upholding the highest standards of security and data privacy, Samsung is fueling the transition to a truly digital wallet.”

The arrival of Samsung Pay in Australia follows successful launches in South Korea, the United States, China and Spain.

“In the first six months of launching in Korea and the U.S., Samsung Pay has surpassed more than 5 million registered users and today has processed more than US$1billion of transactions in South Korea alone,” said Elle Kim, Global Vice President, Samsung Pay, Mobile Communications Business. “This success indicates a tremendous opportunity in Australia, a market where contactless payments are already in strong demand.”

Strong Partnerships to Benefit Consumers and Businesses

At launch, Samsung Pay partners in Australia will be American Express and Citibank.

Citibank credit card cardholders as well as American Express Issued Card Members will be able to use Samsung Pay, with a compatible Samsung smartphone, at participating retailers.

Vice President Payment Consulting Group, American Express JAPA, Nick Alexander, said: “Samsung Pay provides our American Express Issued Card Members another way to pay using the latest in smartphone payment technology, and speeds up the payment process for merchants. American Express is not only striving to be where our customers are, but are also looking for more ways to integrate rewards and loyalty into the payment experience, so that when our customers use their phones to pay, they are earning rewards as well.”

Citi Global Consumer Bank, Australia, Managing Director of Cards and Consumer Lending, Alan Machet said: “The strong partnership between Citibank and Samsung Pay will see both parties collaborate to bring services to our globally-minded customers. Citi credit card customers can now simply and securely use Samsung mobile phones to tap and pay for purchases in Australia and overseas.”

“Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for our customers,” said Kim.

“Samsung Pay adopts an open engagement model, designed to support payment and non-payment cards from multiple providers. By doing this, Samsung can operate seamlessly with a wide range of partners, systems and payment channels,” Kim added.

More Than Money

Outside of payments, Samsung Pay has the potential to be integrated with an array of partners, ranging from major retailers to government departments and ticketing companies.

Partner integration is even simpler with Samsung Pay because the technology utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC) and Samsung’s proprietary technology called Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), making it the only payment solution with wider acceptance.

“The MST technology enables Samsung Pay to support partners that use a traditional magnetic stripe, commonly found on loyalty cards, gift cards and transit cards, both in Australia and across the globe,” Kim said.

“It’s our goal to one day replace wallets, by making every card accessible on Samsung smartphones. In countries like Australia, where customers are already using their smartphones to make payments, our customers will certainly value the benefits of having all their cards in one place and Samsung Pay will provide that convenience to them,” Kim concluded.

Safe and Secure

Samsung Pay includes three levels of security to help enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenisation and Samsung KNOX.

Each transaction uses an encrypted digital token to replace a user’s personal payment information and payments can only be authorised with an approved fingerprint or PIN. Samsung’s industry-leading KNOX security platform also monitors malicious software and activities on a user’s device for added security and protection.

Easy-to-Use Application

To make a payment on Samsung Pay, simply swipe up, choose the desired payment card, authenticate the transaction with the fingerprint sensor and tap the device on the point of sale terminal.

Samsung Pay can be used in an offline mode, should customers be located in areas without internet connectivity³.

1 Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay will be available soon for Galaxy S6 and S6 edge on the Telstra network. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

2 Samsung Pay is available to these smartphones with the Marshmallow software update. Availability of this update to specific devices is dependent on individual operators. Samsung Pay will be available soon for Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy Note 5 on the Telstra network.  Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge do not support MST.

3 Internet access is required occasionally to download new tokens (as defined by card schemes). Limits to offline transactions are dependent on each card scheme.

Samsung Electronics Singapore today announced that it will be the first in Southeast Asia to make Samsung Pay available beginning on June 16. Secure and easy-to-use, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere¹ that debit cards or credit cards are accepted. In fact, Samsung Pay is the only mobile wallet that allows users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphones at terminals that accept contactless payment as well as those that do not accept contactless payment.

“Since the introduction of Samsung Pay last year, we have seen great momentum and experienced significant consumer adoption. Samsung Pay has redefined the way consumers pay and use their smartphones,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global Co-General Manager of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited to bring this service to Singapore consumers and we hope to introduce value-added services to drive and lead innovation in mobile commerce, giving consumers a safer, smarter and better mobile wallet.”

“We are extremely excited that Samsung Pay is now available in Singapore. As the first market in Southeast Asia to roll out our mobile payment service, Singapore will pave the way for the region’s adoption of Samsung Pay,” said Stephen Suh, President, Samsung Electronics Singapore.

Added Mr. Suh: “We have established extensive partnerships with card networks, issuers and merchants for Samsung Pay to be readily available almost anywhere for consumers in Singapore, so that everyone can have the opportunity to enjoy the simplicity, safety and convenience of the mobile payment service. By supporting both contactless and non contactless payment, we are confident that this benefit will help to drive consumer adoption for Samsung Pay. What’s more, you can transact any value on Samsung Pay², up to the amount of your credit card limit.”

Comprehensive Ecosystem

Partner Ecosystem

Samsung Pay is continually expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers in Singapore. Currently, Samsung Pay has partnered with major payment networks such as American Express³, MasterCard and Visa, and major banks such as Citibank, DBS/POSB, OCBC Bank and Standard Chartered.

Additionally, Samsung and Singtel will be exploring potential collaborations in the mobile payment space.

Merchant Ecosystem

At launch, Samsung Pay will be accepted at the vast majority of merchants, wherever MasterCard or Visa is accepted, and is not limited to merchants that have updated to contactless terminals. Singapore consumers will be able to use Samsung Pay at their favorite popular chains, as well as thousands of independent shops.  For merchants that have not yet updated to contactless terminals, Samsung Pay’s proprietary MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology enables contactless payment on existing merchant terminals.

As part of Samsung’s efforts to provide a seamless experience for Samsung Pay customers from the first time they try Samsung Pay, Samsung has been actively engaging selected merchants, providing training to their cashiers and point of sale acceptance marks. Samsung Pay will feature close to 40 preferred merchants at launch. From launch, customers will immediately be able to utilize Samsung Pay at most merchants⁴ within the following categories:

• Supermarkets and Convenience Stores
• Departmental Stores
• Healthcare and Beauty Outlets
• Food and Beverage Outlets
• Fashion and Lifestyle Outlets
• Electronics and Furnishing Stores
• Travel and Entertainment

More Than a Payment Service

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere that credit and debit cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: With Samsung Pay, every transaction is made super easy. You simply need to swipe up to bring up the last transacted credit or debit card, scan your fingerprint or key in your PIN and make payment.

• SAFE: With each separate transaction, Samsung Pay uses an encrypted digital token to replace sensitive card information to prevent fraud. Your payment information is better protected than ever before. Transactions made on Samsung Pay require registered fingerprint or PIN for authorization, so you are in control when each payment is made. The encrypted fingerprint information is stored in a separate, secure area of your device. Samsung’s industry-leading KNOX security platform, which received the most “Strong” ratings of any mobile security platform for Corporate Managed Security⁵, provides real-time kernel protection and monitors malicious software and activities on your device for added security.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE¹: Samsung Pay is accepted almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your credit or debit card. By incorporating Samsung’s proprietary MST technology, together with NFC (Near Field Communication), Samsung Pay will be compatible with the majority of existing and new payment terminals, allowing users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphone almost anywhere. Thanks to MST, Singapore users can also use Samsung Pay for transactions above $100.

The Galaxy Experience

Samsung Pay is an example of how Samsung continues to push the boundaries of hardware, software and services to create devices that are designed to improve how consumers connect, share, organize and get more out of life. The company is redefining what is possible, beyond the limits of today’s technology, by introducing a constellation of seamless mobile experiences to bring added flexibility and convenience to consumers’ lives.

Samsung Pay will be available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 4G+, S6 edge+ 4G+, S7 4G+ and S7 edge 4G+ beginning on June 16 in Singapore.

1 Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

2 Most NFC terminals currently accept payments up to $100, while there is no limit on payment transactions via MST terminals (subject to a cardholder’s credit card limit).

3 Coming soon

4 Subject to changes

5 “Mobile Device Security: A Comparison of Platforms”, Gartner, Inc. (6 April 2016)

“Our goal with Samsung Pay is to drive and lead innovation in mobile commerce, giving consumers a safer, smarter and better mobile wallet,” said Victor Kim, Global Director, Samsung Pay. “Samsung operates an open model of partnership and collaboration to deliver the best possible customer experience. With Samsung Pay, we’re confident that we’re providing Spanish customers with the mobile payments service that they’re looking for.”

“We are proud that Spain is the first European market to introduce Samsung Pay, an innovative new service that we believe will mark a turning point both in Spaniards’ payments behaviour and the evolution of the payments market as a whole,” commented Celestino García, Corporate Vice President, Samsung Spain. “The opportunity for Samsung Pay in Spain is significant, due to the high smartphone penetration rate and the digitalisation of the banking sector. Moreover, according to recent research[1] commissioned by Samsung, nearly six in 10 Spaniards are interested in incorporating a secure, simple and widely accepted payments service like Samsung Pay into their lives.”

Samsung Pay offers a number of benefits:

• SECURE. Samsung Pay uses three different levels to guarantee payment security: fingerprint identification; tokenization to encrypt card credentials; and Samsung KNOX, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.

• SIMPLE. To make a payment with Samsung Pay, users simply swipe their finger up the screen on a smartphone that is compatible with the service, scan their fingerprint and pay.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE. Samsung Pay enables consumers to pay in any location where purchases can be made using a contactless credit or debit card.

NFC-enabled, Samsung Pay-ready devices include the Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 edge, S6, S6 edge and S6 edge+, with specific availability varying by local operator. The Galaxy A5 2016 will also support Samsung Pay in the coming weeks.

Samsung Pay is the Mobile Payments Service Spaniards Have Been Waiting for

New research conducted by Ipsos[2] for Samsung Spain found that half of Spaniards aged between 35 and 65 carry more than two debit or credit cards in their wallets. According to the survey:

• 64 percent of consumers use credit or debit cards for all or most of their purchases;
• This figure rises to 71 percent among people aged between 35 and 44; and
• In order to enjoy even greater convenience and efficiency when shopping, 58 percent of Spaniards would like to use a secure, simple and widely accepted mobile payments solution.

Samsung Pay meets these requirements, offering three layers of security, ease-of-use and the option to pay at any location with a contactless point-of-sale (POS) terminal. Using the service does not incur an additional cost for users or businesses, as they simply need an NFC-compatible POS terminal. Users can also add up to 10 cards to the Samsung Pay application, without incurring additional charges from their banks.

With regards to mobile security, 90 percent of respondents surveyed were concerned about losing their device and someone accessing their card data. In order to deliver maximum security, Samsung Pay includes fingerprint identification, which guarantees that if your mobile phone is lost or stolen, no one will be able to access your payments information.

Extensive Ecosystem

Samsung Pay already has a strong alliance of partners and supports eligible credit and debit cards from more than 200 major global and regional banks. In addition, Samsung Pay is compatible with payments networks, including American Express, China UnionPay, MasterCard, Visa Inc. and China’s leading third-party payments platform, Alipay.

The service is already available for customers of CaixaBank and imaginBank, which will be the first in Spain and Europe to benefit from Samsung Pay.  After the launch of the service beginning today, users can download their CaixaBank and imaginBank debit or credit cards on their smartphones in order to make payments.

Samsung Pay will be available for Abanca and Banco Sabadell customers soon.

Samsung Pay is compatible with all stores that already have contactless terminals and the company is working closely with leading businesses from retail, food and service stations and parking services sectors to create value-added services for their customers. This includes well-known brands like Cepsa, Cervecería La Sureña, Domino’s Pizza,  El Corte Inglés, Fridays, Ginos, Grupo DIA, MediaMarkt, Mercadona, Phone House, Repsol, Rodilla, Saba, Starbucks, The Good Burger, The Wok, VIPS, VIPSmart, 100 Montaditos, with more to follow in due course.

In particular, El Corte Inglés will become the first issuer of private cards in Spain to offer its customers the opportunity to join and pay via Samsung Pay.

Samsung collaborates as a technology partner with the Museo Nacional del Prado’s Sponsorship Program and customers will also be able to use Samsung Pay at this renowned cultural institution.

Additionally, Samsung has organized an event with the Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry to involve SMEs and smaller retailers in the local body’s new payment methods initiatives. On May 18, an Interact Session was held in Madrid, where Samsung illustrated the use cases and benefits of Samsung Pay, as well as the customer loyalty and retention opportunities that the platform offers.

“The Spanish market’s progressive approach to digital payments makes it a logical launch market for Samsung Pay,” added Nathalie Oestmann, Director, Samsung Pay Europe. “We believe that the comprehensive support from telecom service providers; networks and processors; and banks and merchants, will help to accelerate mobile payments adoption across Spain.”

[1] The survey on mobile payments in Spain was conducted online between 22 and 27 January 2016, among a nationally representative, gender-equal sample of 1,000 respondents aged between 18 and 65.

[2] The survey on mobile payments in Spain was conducted online between 22 and 27 January 2016, among a nationally representative, gender-equal sample of 1,000 respondents aged between 18 and 65.

Samsung Electronics Singapore today announced its partnership with Citibank Singapore Limited for Samsung Pay, the secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service that can be used to make purchases almost anywhere¹. Upon the service’s launch in Singapore, Citibank credit cardmembers will have the option to make payments across Singapore using their compatible Samsung mobile phones². The partnership marks a new addition to Samsung Pay’s extensive portfolio of major payment networks and banks, to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers in Singapore.

“We are very pleased and excited to have Citibank come onboard as our latest partner for Samsung Pay in Singapore,” said Eugene Goh, Vice President, IT & Mobile, Samsung Electronics Singapore. “The partnership with Citibank, alongside our ecosystem of partners across payment networks, banks, retailers and merchants, assures customers that they will be able to enjoy the full benefits of using Samsung Pay almost anywhere in Singapore.”

Mr John Denhof, Head of Cards and Personal Loans at Citibank Singapore Limited, said, “We are delighted to work with Samsung Electronics to offer our credit card customers a faster and easier way of making payments using Samsung Pay. Our value propositions are already best in each category and through this partnership, we bring added convenience to our credit card customers who can now simply use their mobile phones to tap and pay for their purchases. At Citibank, we continue to prioritize our efforts to make banking easier for our customers by leveraging digitization and innovation. Samsung Pay is just one of the many exciting digital solutions that we are progressively introducing to our customers to offer them a differentiated experience that only a Citibank credit card customer can get to enjoy.”

The partnership between Citibank and Samsung Pay is a win-win collaboration for both parties. Samsung will be able to leverage on Citibank’s extensive customer base and merchant network to promote greater adoption and usage of digital payments in the country while Citibank’s credit cardmembers using compatible Samsung phones will enjoy greater convenience in the payment process. With their digital wallets, Citibank customers, who are increasingly digitally-savvy, will truly benefit from being able to pay on the go, wherever they are, and whenever they want.

Samsung Pay Beta Test Program

Ahead of its launch in Q2 2016, a select group of consumers has been invited to register their participation in the beta testing for Samsung Pay. They will be among the first to preview the company’s flagship mobile payment service in Singapore. Response from consumers is encouraging, with thousands who have signed up. Registration has now closed and eligible consumers will be notified progressively ahead of the Samsung Pay Beta Test Program.

Samsung Pay will be available to users of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 4G+, S6 edge+ 4G+, S7 4G+ and S7 edge 4G+ in Singapore.

More Than a Payment Service

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere¹ that credit and debit cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: With Samsung Pay, every transaction is made super easy. You simply need to swipe up to bring up the last transacted credit or debit card, scan your fingerprint or key in your PIN and make payment.

• SAFE: With each separate transaction, Samsung Pay uses an encrypted digital token to replace sensitive card information to prevent fraud. Your payment information is better protected than ever before. Transactions made on Samsung Pay require registered fingerprint or PIN for authorization, so you are in control when each payment is made. The encrypted fingerprint information is stored in a separate, secure area of your device. Samsung’s industry-leading KNOX security platform, which received the most “Strong” ratings of any mobile security platform for Corporate Managed Security³, provides real-time kernel protection and monitors malicious software and activities on your device for added security.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE¹: Samsung Pay is accepted almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your credit or debit card. By incorporating Samsung’s proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, together with Near Field Communication (NFC), Samsung Pay will be compatible with the majority of existing and new payment terminals, allowing users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphone almost anywhere.

[1] Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

[2] Samsung Pay will be available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 4G+, S6 edge+ 4G+, S7 4G+ and S7 edge 4G+ at launch.

[3] “Mobile Device Security: A Comparison of Platforms”, Gartner, Inc. (6 April 2016)

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Samsung Electronics today announced the partnership with Ant Financial Services Group, parent company of Alipay, to expand Samsung Pay in China. A simple, safe and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay works virtually anywhere you can swipe or tap a card. Users will now be able to use their Alipay account on eligible Samsung mobile phones with Samsung Pay.

“We are excited to be working with Alipay to expand Samsung Pay services in China,” said Injong Rhee, EVP and Head of R&D, Software and Services of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “The reception of Samsung Pay since its launch has been extremely positive and the service has already seen tremendous success in terms of availability and adoption by consumers. We ultimately want to make Samsung Pay available to as many consumers as possible around the globe, so that everyone can have the opportunity to enjoy the simplicity, safety and convenience of this mobile payment solution”

Fan Zhiming, President of Payment Business Unit at Ant Financial, said, “Alipay covers the vast majority of online payment use cases. At the same time, it also developed a variety of offline use cases, including restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, taxis, hospitals and public services. The technology integration facilitated by this partnership with Samsung Electronics will make the payment process faster and more convenient when users make payments at stores where Alipay is accepted.”

After registering your Alipay account into Samsung Pay, users simply can begin paying with their mobile phones by swiping up from the Lock Screen, Home Screen or Sleep Mode, selecting the Alipay QR code, and holding the smartphone up to the merchant’s scanner to scan the QR code at the register.

Samsung Pay and Alipay are committed to bringing ground breaking fin-tech innovations to China to deliver on the promise of a true digital wallet. Alipay is the leading third-party payment platform in China and has achieved rapid growth with its large user base. Samsung Pay continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem, with partners like Alipay, to provide consumers with a simple, safe and almost anywhere mobile payment solution in China with unparalleled access, choice and flexibility.

Samsung Pay is currently available on the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy A5(2016), Galaxy A7(2016), Galaxy A9(2016) and Galaxy A9 Pro in China with the opportunity to support additional models in the future.*

^*Availability may vary by country and region.

About Alipay

Launched in 2004, Alipay is the world’s leading third-party payment platform. It currently has over 450 million active registered users and more than 200 financial institution partners. Users can hail a taxi, book a hotel, or buy movie tickets directly from various modules within the app and purchase wealth management products such as Yu’e Bao. In addition to online payment functions such as online shopping payments, money transfer, and utility bill payments, Alipay is expanding to offline payments both inside and outside of China. Over 600,000 brick-and-mortar merchants and over one million taxis now accept Alipay as a payment method across China. As of December 2015, Alipay was accepted in more than 60,000 retail stores outside of China.

About Ant Financial Services Group 

Ant Financial Services Group is focused on serving small and micro enterprises as well as consumers.  Ant Financial is dedicated to building an open ecosystem of Internet thinking and technologies while working with other financial institutions to support the future financial needs of society. Businesses operated by Ant Financial Services Group include Alipay, Ant Fortune, Sesame Credit, MYbank and Ant Financial Cloud.

Samsung Electronics America announced today that Samsung Pay—the most widely accepted mobile payment system—is giving U.S. users another way to slim down their physical wallets with the support of membership features. Samsung Pay users now have easy, direct access to merchant membership and loyalty cards to receive savings, rewards and other offers—all on their supported Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

The average American household carries almost 30 loyalty cards.¹ With the new feature announced today, Samsung Pay lets users access all of their merchant membership and loyalty cards from one, easy-to-use application on the supported Samsung Galaxy smartphone that is already in their hands. With Samsung Pay, users no longer have to worry about fumbling through their wallet to find the right card, or worse, forgetting it and missing out on savings.

Users can upload and store merchant membership and loyalty cards in Samsung Pay—including from their gym, drug store, grocery store or any of their favorite retailers. Samsung Pay’s new membership feature can also be used to store other cards such as insurance and personal identification cards for safe keeping. To use membership or loyalty cards, users simply launch the Samsung Pay app, select the appropriate card, hold their Samsung Galaxy smartphone screen up to the merchant’s scanner, and let the card’s barcode be scanned at the register

“With this new feature, Samsung Pay is giving users quick access to their favorite membership and loyalty programs and making shopping even easier,” said Nana Murugesan, VP of Strategy and Operations for Samsung Electronics America. “Right now, shoppers have several things—credit and debit cards, membership cards, coupons, gift cards—they need to take out of their wallets and scan at the register. Samsung is simplifying the check out experience by bringing those items to your phone, representing our next step toward a world without physical wallets.”

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile wallet service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and works virtually anywhere plastic cards are accepted. Samsung Pay supports all major payment networks and many of the country’s major financial institutions, and it continues to expand its partnership ecosystem^*. Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

SIMPLE: Samsung Pay is easy to use. Users simply swipe up from their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay at millions of merchants across the country.

SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. Samsung Pay users are fully protected against fraud by card issuers, and merchants receive Card Present rates with no EMV liability shift.

ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment system. Samsung Pay works with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals. For more information on Samsung Pay, visit www.samsung.com/pay.

Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

[1] 2015 COLLOQUY Loyalty Census. Rep. COLLOQUY, 9 Feb. 2015. <https://www.colloquy.com/latest-news/2015-colloquy-loyalty-census/>.

Samsung Electronics Singapore today announced that Singapore will be the first market in the region to introduce the company’s flagship mobile payment service, Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service that can be used to make purchases almost anywhere² credit and debit cards are accepted. By as early as Q2 2016, Singapore will join South Korea, U.S and China in the list of Samsung’s priority markets to roll out this highly anticipated mobile payment service.

The service will cater to a positive demand in Singapore where 71% of Samsung users have indicated interest in using Samsung Pay once it becomes available. This was based on a research study¹ commissioned by Samsung in February this year on users’ interest in Samsung Pay involving 400 Singapore respondents.

“We are extremely excited that Singapore is the first market in Southeast Asia to roll out Samsung Pay. Singapore’s connectivity and openness are ideal conditions for our new mobile service to thrive, together with the interest and readiness of consumers here in adopting this new method of payment,” said Injong Rhee, EVP and Head of R&D, Software and Services of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung Pay is an example of how Samsung is always striving to introduce new technologies that help to enhance and improve the quality of lives of consumers, especially as Singapore moves towards becoming a Smart Nation. Our goal has always been to drive and lead innovation that matters, and we are happy to extend this into the mobile commerce space.”

Extensive Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers in Singapore upon its launch. The service has confirmed its partnership with major payment networks – American Express³, MasterCard and Visa, and major banks such as DBS/POSB, OCBC Bank and Standard Chartered.

Deborah Heng, group head and general manager, MasterCard Singapore said, “Mobile phones are becoming indispensable to the daily lives of Singapore’s digitally savvy population who are looking for new ways to pay. According to MasterCard’s Mobile Shopping Survey 2016, digital wallets have seen the fastest uptake amongst Singapore consumers with a four-fold increase over the last year. This partnership with Samsung will offer MasterCard cardholders a new way to make payments simply, securely and swiftly with just a tap of their Samsung mobile phones.”

“Today, more than one in three Singaporeans are making Visa payWave contactless payments, so we believe the time is right for consumers to embrace mobile payments. The introduction of Samsung Pay will continue to help displace cash and help to propel Singapore towards a cashless society. Visa is pleased to work with Samsung to introduce Samsung Pay, enabled by Visa Token Service for secure payments,” said Ms. Ooi Huey Tyng, Visa Country Manager for Singapore and Brunei.

Desmond Tan, Head of Group Lifestyle Financing, OCBC Bank said: “Our partnership with Samsung Pay is an opportunity for us to bring the ease and benefits of mobile payments to our customers. This also allows us to provide our customers with more choice in the payment methods they use. Samsung Pay’s interface is simple, swift and safe to use, and coupled with OCBC’s wide network of commercial partners, which includes major supermarkets, departmental stores and dining outlets, 1.5 million of our card customers can soon choose to adopt mobile payments and rely less on cash.”

Samsung Pay is currently expanding its list of retail and merchant partners to deliver on its promise to provide the service to consumers almost anywhere². Consumers will soon be able to utilise Samsung Pay at the following merchant categories⁴:

• Supermarkets and Convenience Stores
• Departmental Stores
• Healthcare and Beauty Outlets
• Food and Beverage Outlets
• Fashion and Lifestyle Outlets
• Electronics and Furnishing Stores

More Than a Payment Service

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere² that credit and debit cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, consumers simply need to swipe up on their compatible Samsung smartphone to bring up the last transacted credit or debit card, scan their fingerprint and make payment. It’s that easy!
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenisation and Samsung KNOX. Each transaction uses an encrypted digital token to replace user’s personal payment information and payments can only be authorised with approved fingerprint or PIN. Meantime, Samsung’s industry-leading KNOX security platform monitors malicious software and activities on user’s device for added security and protection.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE²: Samsung Pay is the only mobile payment solution⁵ that lets consumers pay almost anywhere credit and debit cards are accepted. By incorporating Samsung’s proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, together with Near Field Communication (NFC), Samsung Pay will be compatible with the majority of existing and new payment terminals, allowing users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphone almost anywhere² that allows payment by swiping or tapping a credit or debit card.

Samsung is currently expanding its network of partnerships and providing training for cashiers at partnering retailers and merchants in preparation for the roll out of Samsung Pay in Singapore. Samsung will also be engaging consumers to participate in a beta usage trial to test the service ahead of the launch in Q2 2016.

Samsung Pay will be available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 4G+, Galaxy S6 edge+ 4G+, Galaxy S7 4G+ and S7 edge 4G+ upon its launch in Singapore.

¹Based on research study “Samsung Pay Adoption in Singapore”, February 2016, by YouGov Asia Pacific, commissioned by Samsung
²Availability of Samsung Pay service will require relationships with participating payment networks, banks, retailers and merchants, and may vary at launch. Some payment terminals may require software updates
³Coming Soon after Q2 2016
⁴Subject to changes
⁵Based on compatibility of Samsung Pay service with both MST and NFC payment terminals

Samsung Electronics announced today new partnerships with the world’s largest POS makers, including Verifone (NYSE: PAY), Ingenico Group, First Data and Clover, PAX Technology, Equinox, ID TECH, MagTek, USA ePay and OTI Global, to accelerate mobile payment adoption by ensuring the best possible user experience at merchants’ point-of-sale (POS) systems during checkout. Samsung Pay is the only contactless payment solution that works at over 90 percent of the top 250 retailers and the vast majority of merchants, including small, local businesses.

Working with the largest POS makers, Samsung Pay is driving toward the goal of universal merchant acceptance, which is critical to consumer adoption. Samsung Pay uses both Near Field Communication (NFC) and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). MST is Samsung’s innovative technology that delivers secure transactions for new EMV chip and NFC terminals, as well as traditional, magnetic strip terminals, enabling consumers to use Samsung Pay almost anywhere they can swipe or tap a card. The announced partnerships will help systematically test and validate the different POS systems in the field to ensure maximum compatibility and universal acceptance for Samsung Pay.

Using Samsung Pay is faster than using a chip card, and safer than swiping a mag stripe card because tokenization protects against copy and reuse at even mag-stripe-only terminals.  With tokenization of MST and NFC transactions Merchants receive Card Present rates with no liability shift, regardless of what type of POS terminals they use.

“Consumers love Samsung Pay because it is fast, safe, and so widely accepted by merchants everywhere” said Sang Ahn, Chief Commercial Officer Samsung Pay, Inc. “We are excited to be working with our POS partners to accelerate the adoption of mobile payments and bring greater innovation into the marketplace.”

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile wallet service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and works virtually anywhere plastic cards are accepted. Samsung Pay supports all major payment networks and many of the country’s major financial institutions, and it continues to expand its partnership ecosystem^*.  Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

• SIMPLE: Samsung Pay is easy to use. Users simply swipe up from their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay at millions of merchants across the country.

• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. Samsung Pay users are fully protected against fraud by card issuers, and merchants receive Card Present rates with no EMV liability shift.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment system. Samsung Pay works with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals.

For more information on Samsung Pay, visit www.samsung.com/pay.

*Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Electronics announced today that Samsung Pay, the most widely accepted mobile payment system, will soon support eligible credit and debit cards from TD Bank and Regions Bank, in addition to 60 Visa and MasterCard banks and credit unions launched since early March 2016.

With the addition of these banks, Samsung Pay continues to grow momentum in the United States—supporting eligible credit and debit cards from more than 130 banks and credit unions, representing over 75% of the US credit and debit card market.

Samsung Pay supports all major payment networks and many of the country’s major banks, and it continues to expand its partnership ecosystem. Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged, too.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals^*. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.

Samsung Electronics and China UnionPay (CUP) announced the launch of Samsung Pay in China. A simple, safe and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay works virtually anywhere you can swipe or tap your card in China. Samsung Pay will enable users to safely manage and use their debit and credit cards on eligible Samsung mobile phones with CUP.

“We are pleased to be partnering with CUP to bring Samsung Pay to China,” said Injong Rhee, EVP and Head of R&D, Software and Services of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “The reception of Samsung Pay since its launch has been extremely positive and the service has already seen tremendous success in terms of availability and adoption by consumers. In compliance with national laws and regulations, thanks to cooperating with CUP and many banks, we ultimately want to make Samsung Pay available to as many consumers as possible in china, so that everyone can have the opportunity to enjoy the simplicity, safety and convenience of this mobile payment solution.”

“China UnionPay attaches great importance to the security and innovation of payment. In order to follow the tendency of mobile payment in both China and abroad, CUP cooperates with industry to bring safe and convenient mobile payment experience for millions card holders. With the joint efforts of banks and Samsung, based on the safety testing and certification by relevant national testing agency, CUP QuickPass starting Samsung Pay service will bring users safer and more convenient mobile payment choice.” said Hu Ying, Assistant President of UnionPay.

Samsung Pay is currently available on the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 in China with the opportunity to support additional mid-range models in the future.*

Samsung Pay currently supports select credit and debit cards from nine banks including China CITIC Bank, China Construction Bank, China Everbright Bank, China Guangfa Bank, China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd, China Merchants Bank, Hua Xia Bank , Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Ping An Bank**

Samsung Pay will eventually include future support for select credit and debit cards from six additional banks including Bank of China, Bank of Beijing, Bank of Communications, China Bohai Bank, Industrial Bank and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. Samsung Pay continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers.

To make a payment with Samsung Pay, consumers simply swipe up from Home bottom whether the phone screen is locked, going black or in home screen, scan their fingerprint and pay, which is quite easy and convenient. In term of safety, Samsung Pay has three layers protection, which are fingerprint authentication, tokenization and KNOX. Because of innovative technology, Samsung Pay can be used on both QuickPass POS terminal with NFC and more POS terminals without NFC technology, which is more accepted than other similar applications with only NFC technology.

*Availability may vary by country and region.

**Visit http://support-cn.samsung.com/samsungpay/#box03 for the list of partners that support Samsung Pay.

“I am delighted to have Wells Fargo on board with Samsung Pay and that our users can now enjoy more choices in debit and credit cards,” said Injong Rhee, Head of R&D, Software and Services, Samsung Electronics Mobile Division. “Samsung Pay is gaining its momentum in customer adoption, and we will continue to expand the list of issuers. I look forward to offering many compelling mobile payment services to our joint customers together with Wells Fargo.”

“We are pleased today to announce that Samsung Pay is available for Wells Fargo customers,” said Jim Smith, head of Virtual Channels for Wells Fargo. “Innovations like Samsung Pay further our commitment to giving our customers the ability to make payments anytime and anywhere, including from a mobile wallet.”

Samsung Pay announced last week that about five million registered users processed over 500 million dollars in the first six months, showing a strong adoption rate in South Korea and the U.S.* This also demonstrates the increasing use of Samsung Pay for its convenience, flexibility and security.

Samsung Pay supports all major payment networks and many of the country’s major banks. It continues to expand its partnership ecosystem. Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged, too.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE**: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.

Samsung Pay launched in August 2015 in South Korea and in September 2015 in the U.S. market.

**Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

With Samsung’s recent announcement of its plan to expand its Samsung Pay service to even more countries, people in all corners of the world are getting ready to pay in an entirely new way.

Spain is the one of the countries preparing for the expansion of Samsung Pay. Ahead of the Spanish launch soon, people can experience the mobile payment service at several locations throughout Barcelona, including the Samsung Experience Store in the city’s Gran Via 2 shopping complex.

“People in Spain are familiar with contactless payments, and have been for quite some time,” stated a sales representative at the store. “They’re really thrilled that they will be finally able to use this service with their own smartphones.”

The just-opened Samsung Experience Store boasts a Samsung Pay demonstration in which customers can see for themselves just how easy, flexible and convenient Samsung’s mobile payment service is. Those who have tried the in-store demonstration are especially fond of the security offered in Samsung Pay.

A sales representative of the Samsung Experience Store demonstrates Samsung Pay.

“They really like the fingerprint verification feature, as it makes the transaction feel more secure,” the representative said.

Barcelonians can also get hands-on with Samsung Pay at El Corte Inglés, the biggest department store group in Europe.

Launched last year in Korea and the U.S., Samsung Pay experienced a strong adoption rate, with five million registered users and over 500 million dollars processed in its first six months.

Compatible with both card and NFC readers, the most widely accepted mobile payment system in the world will soon reach even more consumers, beginning with China in March. It will continue its expansion in Australia, Brazil, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom in the later part of this year.

*Availability may vary by country and region.

Samsung Electronics, announced that Samsung Pay, the most accepted mobile payment service that works at the majority of merchants today, has reached a global milestone – about five million registered users processed over 500 million dollars in the first six months, showing a strong adoption rate in South Korea and the U.S.* This also demonstrates that users continue to increasingly use Samsung Pay in their everyday lives for its convenience, flexibility and security.

“Since its introduction last year, Samsung Pay has changed the way people pay and use their smartphones,” said Injong Rhee, EVP and Head of R&D, Software and Services of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “We’ve already seen significant consumer adoption and we continue to see great momentum. Our aim is to expand Samsung Pay to even more locations around the world, and our customers should expect to see more features in the year to come.”

In 2016, Samsung Pay will start global expansion beginning with China in March, followed by Australia, Brazil, Singapore, Spain and the U.K. later in the year. Additionally, Canada will be added to the new launch roadmap. Samsung Pay is currently available on select Galaxy devices including S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, Note5 as well as premium and mid-range options such as the 2016 models of both Galaxy A5 and A7**.

Extensive Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay started its service in South Korea and the U.S. last year, and now supports eligible credit and debit cards from more than 70 major and regional banks***.

In addition to mobile payments, Samsung is partnering with BC Card, Hana Card, KB Kookmin Card, Lotte Card, NH Nonghyup Card and Samsung Card to provide a quick and easy online payment service in South Korea. By adding this new service, consumers will be able to use the Samsung Pay Fingerprint Authentication to pay online.

In 2016, Samsung Pay will support four major payment networks, including American Express, China UnionPay, MasterCard, and Visa. Many of the countries’ major banks and partners include Abanca, American Express, Banco do Brasil, Banco Sabadell, Bradesco, Brasil Pre-Pagos, Caixa, CaixaBank, China Construction Bank, China Everbright Bank, China Guangfa Bank, China Minsheng Banking Corp, DBS, El Corte Inglés, HSBC, imaginBank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Itaú Unibanco, MBNA, Nationwide Building Society, Nu Bank, OCBC Bank, Ping An Bank, Porto Seguro, Santander, Standard Chartered Bank and Transport for London (TfL).

Samsung Pay: More Than a Payment

Samsung Pay, a safe and easy-to-use mobile payment service, can be used to make purchases nearly everywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments – Fingerprint Authentication, tokenization and Samsung KNOX.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE**: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.

Furthermore, Samsung Pay will expand its enhanced services to more than just credit or debit cards. Users can add transit passes, coupons and membership cards, which will provide more convenient and flexible payment experiences in their everyday lives. **

The Galaxy Experience

Samsung Pay is an example of how Samsung continues to push the boundaries of hardware, software and services to create devices that are designed to improve how consumers connect, share, organize and get more out of life. The company is redefining what is possible, beyond the limits of today’s technology, by introducing a constellation of seamless mobile experiences that will orbit the most beautiful and powerful smartphones ever created.

*Samsung Pay launched in August 2015 in South Korea and in September 2015 in the U.S. market.
**Availability may vary by country and region.
***Visit www.samsung.com/pay for the list of partners that support Samsung Pay.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and available almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience.

Mobile payments services have been in the news for the past year, with a variety of options vying for public acceptance. One of the most popular so far has been Samsung Pay, which is not only widely accepted and easy-to-use, but also incredibly secure, with several layers of security to ensure its users’ information stays safe. Why is Samsung Pay so secure? Because it protects people at three levels: guarding their private information (tokenization), requiring authentication and constantly monitoring their devices with Samsung KNOX.

Tokenization Keeps Private Information Private

When someone uses Samsung Pay to make a purchase, their card information is not actually shared with the merchant. Instead, Samsung Pay uses “tokenization,” meaning a digital token is created instead for each transaction, turning the card number into a unique identifier through an algorithm. The token is then stored in a secure area or as a separate hardware component (depending on the region).

By keeping people’s information out of the purchase process, this takes away the potential for their personal data to be picked up and used by outside parties. It’s a simple idea that means a major increase in the safety in the payment system.

User Authentication Ensures Control

Another important part of maintaining Samsung Pay security is the user authentication process. All transactions also require that the user confirm the purchase, either by a PIN or a fingerprint. Payments must be authorized with the user’s PIN or fingerprint so their mobile device only allows payments with the user’s consent.

Samsung KNOX, the Most Certified Solution

With multiple levels of security right out of the box, down to the hardware level, Samsung KNOX offers unprecedented security for mobile devices. Samsung KNOX constantly monitors devices, scanning for any malware or suspicious activity, providing defense-grade security from the moment a device is first turned on. With its series of security features, Samsung KNOX has the most certifications and authorizations by governments, militaries and enterprises among Android manufacturers, ensuring Samsung Pay is the safest solution possible.

Samsung Pay in the City That Never Sleeps

In addition to security, Samsung Pay is one of the most convenient mobile payments services on the market, combining both Near Field Communications (NFC) and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technologies. MST is particularly useful because it is compatible with the majority of older card readers already in place at most retailers.

A new ad just released by Samsung highlights the advantages MST brings to Samsung Pay, in a commercial featuring the popular comedian Hannibal Buress, New York City’s famous Katz’s Delicatessen and Katz’s real employees and customers.

At 128 years old, Katz’s is famous for doing things the old-fashioned way, from making sandwiches to how it runs its business. They accept credit cards, but only using an older-style card reader. That’s no problem for Samsung Pay, though, which Buress successfully uses to purchase his delicious sandwich. If Samsung Pay is accepted at this famous New York institution, clearly Samsung Pay is here.

Injong Rhee, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics said, “With technological innovation, Samsung Pay expands the usage of mobile payments. It simplifies the procedure for better user experience, and adopts multi-layered protection to ensure security, allowing easier and safer mobile payment experiences. The collaboration with China UnionPay, coupled with the support from major UnionPay partner banks in China, will bring this secure and easy-to-use mobile payment solution to more Samsung mobile users.”

Chai Hongfeng, Executive Vice President of China UnionPay, said: “With the rapid development of the mobile payment industry, China UnionPay is committed to open cooperation with other parties in the industry to provide more secure and more convenient products and services for consumers. This cooperation between China UnionPay and Samsung will combine the strengths of the former in payment and the expertise of the latter in mobile terminals to jointly create brand new mobile payment experience for consumers, and to further expand the user base of UnionPay QuickPass brand. ”

This collaboration between Samsung and China UnionPay will enable UnionPay cardholders to manage and use credit cards and debit cards on the smartphones via Samsung Pay. Key features of Samsung Pay include its simplicity to use, wide coverage, as well as a high-level of security. First, payment can be easily made within just a few seconds with a simple swipe up, scan and pay. Second, Samsung Pay-supported contactless payment can be accepted in most of the POS terminals in China, including QuickPass-enabled NFC POS terminals. Lastly, working with China UnionPay, Samsung Pay ensures secure transaction with a reliable triple-layered protection mechanism including fingerprint identification, tokenization and KNOX.

The products and technologies in Samsung Pay strictly comply with national mobile payment and financial industry standards in China. Samsung Pay will receive relevant tests and certification as required by Chinese regulators before its official rollout to UnionPay cardholders in China as soon as early 2016.

“More Samsung users will be able to use Samsung Pay to shop this holiday season, thanks to new support from MasterCard and Visa issuers, including our valued partners at PNC Bank and KeyBank,” said Injong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics, Global Head of Samsung Pay. “With the widest acceptance of any mobile payment service, Samsung Pay continues to expand its reach and provide its customers unparalleled choice, flexibility and access.”

“Samsung Pay delivers the purchasing power of PNC credit and debit cards right to the place where customers want it most – on their mobile devices,” said Thomas Trebilcock, who leads Mobile & Emerging Payments for PNC. “Offering payment services like Samsung Pay illustrates PNC’s commitment to convenience and delivering enhanced mobile capabilities to customers.”

“Key is pleased to offer Samsung Pay to its clients,” said Jason Rudman, Head of Consumer Payments and Digital Banking at KeyBank. “Its wide acceptance and simple user experience are consistent with Key’s effort to bring ease, value and expertise to our clients and provide choice in their ability to make mobile payments.”

Samsung Pay supports all major payment networks and many of the country’s major financial institutions, and it continues to expand its partnership ecosystem. Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up on their phone screen to launch Samsung Pay, select a card, scan their fingerprint and pay

• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged, too.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE^*: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals^*. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.

Samsung Electronics America announced that Samsung Pay users will have the chance to be treated to an exclusive, special performance and private New Year’s Eve party featuring the platinum-selling recording artist, Usher, in Los Angeles. As part of the promotion, Samsung Pay also launched a nationwide shopping experience at 50 malls where customers can try out and activate the most accepted mobile payment system for a chance to win tickets to the special performance and more.

“This holiday season Samsung Pay wants to give its users the gift of a lifetime: a New Year’s Eve with Usher. Samsung Pay continues to offer its users unparalleled experiences, including this newest opportunity to spend an evening with one of the biggest musicians in the world,” said Nana Murugesan, VP of Strategy and Operations for Samsung Electronics America. “Our mall experience will help even more holiday shoppers breeze through their gift lists with credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards supported by Samsung Pay at the top 50 malls across the US and understand the ease and convenience of the most widely accepted mobile payment system.”

From December 10 through December 21, shoppers who activate Samsung Pay at one of the 50 mall locations across the U.S. will have the chance to win two round-trip tickets to Los Angeles, hotel accommodations and a New Year’s Eve concert and party. The Samsung Pay mall experiences will remain open through January 10 for shoppers to learn about and activate Samsung Pay to earn other rewards, including gift cards to various merchants. Visit www.samsungpromotions.com for more information and all participating mall locations.

This busy holiday season, Samsung is making shopping even easier with Samsung Pay – the most accepted mobile payment system that allows consumers to use an eligible Samsung phone to pay almost anywhere they can swipe or tap a card. Samsung Pay now supports 50 popular merchant gift cards as well as a gift card store that enables users to buy gift cards from supported merchants for themselves, friends and family directly within the Samsung Pay app. Samsung Pay supports many of the country’s major banks and continues to expand its partnership ecosystem. Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged, too.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE*: Samsung Pay is compatible with most existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals*. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.

Samsung Electronics announced that Samsung Pay, the most accepted mobile payment system that works at the majority of merchants today, now supports 50 popular merchant gift cards as well as a gift card store that enables users to buy gift cards from supported merchants for themselves, friends and family directly within the Samsung Pay app starting today. Samsung Pay allows you to purchase, store, pay with, and share gift cards right from your Samsung phone.

Samsung Pay supports 50 popular merchant gift cards including Babies“R”Us and Toys“R”Us, Bass Pro Shops®, Domino’s®, eBay, GameStop®, Nike, Regal Entertainment Group and Staples in partnership with Blackhawk Network. More gift card options will be added to Samsung Pay in the coming months. In addition to using these cards in stores across the U.S., Samsung Pay also supports the purchase of select gift cards—for yourself, friends and family—directly within the app itself.

“With the support of 50 major retail gift cards and the launch of the in-app gift card store, Samsung Pay is bringing consumers an easier way to use gift cards ,” said Injong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics, Global Head of Samsung Pay. “People love gift cards, but how many of us have gone to pay for something only to realize we have a gift card sitting around somewhere at home? With Samsung Pay, you can easily carry your gift cards with you everywhere you go and not have to worry about a card going unspent.”

“Another feature that is unique to Samsung Pay is the ability to buy gift cards and gift them to friends within the Samsung Pay app itself. We hope this will provide greater flexibility, access and choice for Samsung Pay customers heading into the holiday season.”

Samsung Pay supports many of the country’s major banks and continues to expand its partnership ecosystem. Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged, too.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals*. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.

“With expanded support from eight additional issuers, including Chase and SunTrust, we look forward to building even more momentum around Samsung Pay,” said Injong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics, Global Head of Samsung Pay. “Through our ever expanding ecosystem of financial partners, Samsung Pay users will be able to take advantage of the most widely accepted mobile payment solution.”

“Samsung Pay gives our customers another convenient way to pay with their Chase cards,” said Gavin Michael, Head of Digital for Chase. “They choose how they want to pay.”

All three major payment networks will continue to be supported by Samsung Pay: American Express, MasterCard and Visa, as well as major banks including Bank of America, Chase, Citi, Navy Federal Credit Union, SunTrust, U.S. Bank, and key partners including Blackhawk Network, First Data, Global Payments, Synchrony Financial, TSYS, Vantiv, and Worldpay.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged, too.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with most existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals*. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.

Samsung Electronics announced Samsung Pay U.S. consumer usage data, new features, and partnerships at Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, adding more momentum to the most accepted mobile payment system.

Just four weeks after its launch in the U.S., Samsung Pay is proving its biggest advantage is broad acceptance enabled by Samsung’s MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) in combination with NFC. MST is the patented technology built into the Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 that transmits tokenized card data to the magnetic card readers of EMV terminals and magnetic stripe terminals. Of U.S. consumers who have paid with Samsung Pay, there is strong indication of repeat usage with an average of eight transactions per user. Data also show that three out of four Samsung Pay transactions were made via MST, validating that combining MST and NFC makes Samsung Pay the most accepted mobile payment system.

“After one month, the numbers say it all: Consumers who have used Samsung Pay are using it repeatedly because it works almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card,” said Thomas Ko, Vive President and Global Co-general Manager of Samsung Pay. “We’re thrilled to introduce new partners that will build on our early success, and move us even closer to a world in which your mobile phone is a true mobile wallet.”

Samsung is expanding the partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay, announcing support in the coming months for cards issued by Chase, PNC Bank, TD Bank, SunTrust, Fifth Third Bank, Key Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Navy Federal Credit Union, Virginia Credit Union, Associated Bank, Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union and People’s United Bank. Starting next year, Samsung Pay will work with Discover.

Samsung Pay is also deepening relationships between consumers and retailers—enabling shoppers to use gift cards on their phones at their favorite stores, through a partnership with Blackhawk Network that includes dozens of top retailers in categories like grocery, fashion, entertainment and dining. By the end of this year, consumers will be able to load and use these gift cards.

Samsung is now working with the four payment networks: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa, major banks including Bank of America, Chase, Citi, U.S. Bank, and key financial partners including Blackhawk Network, First Data, Synchrony Financial, TSYS, and Vantiv to extend Samsung Pay to the U.S.

The overwhelmingly positive initial response to Samsung Pay underscores its revolutionary appeal to consumers.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.

• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged too.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with most existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals^*. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.

How many credit cards do you carry in your wallet? How often do you use each of them? Commerce has come a long way and the forms of “money” have evolved. The credit card has played an important role for people to shop more convenience and safer over recent years, however, it can be replaced to new payment service in the near future. Mobile payment is a burgeoning phenomenon in the world of retail and commerce.

At the moment, mobile payment systems fall into two categories. One method is based on near field communication (NFC) technology. The other relies on magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology, which sends the payment card information to a magnetic card reader wirelessly, using magnetic signals.

NFC is the most widely used payment system, however, it has a critical shortcoming—fewer than 3 percent of retail shops in the world have the NFC readers needed to support it. Despite the technology applying NFC for payment systems being a decade old, retailers have been slow to purchase and install NFC readers, even in Europe, where NFC cards and IC cards are more widely available. Without a doubt, its acceptance will spread, but the pace appears to be somewhat slow.

On the other hand, most retail shops already have magnetic card readers, which are compatible with MST technology. So a mobile payment system that supports both NFC and MST would have the widest level of acceptance—and the only such service is Samsung Pay.

Technology always takes time to be accepted. For example, HD TVs have been around for more than a decade, but there are still a lot of people who watch in standard resolution. As an engineer, I believe we need to follow the lead of our customers. We cannot force people to accept new technologies before they’re ready. Instead, we need to help ease that change naturally.

The Key Is Convenience

Nowadays, we can find WiFi everywhere. But how many people understand how Wi-Fi works, or know the various standards? Most do not. What people care about is being able to access their email easily and safely. The important thing for consumers is convenience.

Recently, one company released an application that shows users where they can use mobile payment services. In my opinion, that gets things totally backward it is a complete flop. People use mobile payment services where they shop; they do not go shopping to where they can use mobile payment services. Convenience drives consumer acceptance, not the technology.

With this philosophy in mind from the beginning, Samsung Electronics applied MST technology to mobile payments together with NFC. I think debating which technology is better, NFC or MST, is pointless. What is essential is making mobile payment convenient for consumers, so they can pay for things without thinking about the technology. If consumers cannot use a mobile payment service in most shops, they will not use it nor accept it. Embracing a technology means being able to use it easily, anytime, anywhere.

I have not used a plastic credit card in over a month. It’s so easy to pay for anything wherever I go, I don’t even worry about my credit cards anymore. I know I do not need them. Even if something did go wrong, finding a solution would just lead to better service, which is essential for mobile payments being accepted.

Comparing MST and NFC Today

The global average NFC penetration rate stands at 15 percent. Here is Korea, it is less than 2 percent. But because MST has a success rate of more than 80 percent, it is essential for today’s consumers.

In the years to come, the number of transactions using NFC will grow steadily, but MST is going to continue to be significant in retail. Even after the percentage of shops using only MST drops to a small number, we cannot just ignore them. The right approach is to support both systems.

Having conducted thousands of tests around the world, I am sure that Samsung Pay will be a success. It is a product that can change the market and provides real benefits to users. No, it isn’t perfect, but it works so often that I haven’t been tempted to return to my credit cards. Most people have the same thinking—they are not going to use mobile payments just for the novelty, but only if they are convenient.

Information Safe and Secure Through Tokenization

To ensure people’s security and privacy, mobile payments on Samsung Pay do not pass along actual credit card information. Instead, they use something called “tokenization.” Using a token means people’s information is encrypted using our propriety technology and kept secure. Even if a transaction was intercepted, all the personal information would be protected.

Another benefit of using tokens is that it allows us to use the existing payment infrastructure that was developed for plastic credit cards. A token service provider (TSP) server performs the exchange between a token and the actual credit card number, so credit card issuers and merchants can just use their existing systems.

Samsung Pay Will Transform the Future of Mobile Payments

Mobile payments can handle the functions of physical credit cards, but as they grow and develop, many predict they will bring deeper changes to banking, money and society. Mobile payments are more flexible than cards and can do more. In Korea, Samsung Pay enables you to withdraw cash from ATMs, allowing the service to also replace debit cards. They are always “on” and can also interact with the phone, offering credit card issuers new opportunities to connect with users and create additional services.

This is the start of a real paradigm shift—but it all depends on people embracing mobile payment services. That is why I want to emphasize that convenience and ubiquity are at the core of technological acceptance. The arrival of new payment services is not far off and I believe that Samsung Pay will play a leading role in these exciting changes. And the root of all this is Samsung’s dedication to placing the needs of consumers first, so change can come naturally and conveniently.

What makes Samsung Pay different than other mobile payment systems is that it supports both MST and NFC technology, meaning consumers can use their mobile wallet at any store with credit card magnetic stripe readers and contactless payment support. What makes Samsung Pay more secure?

Samsung Pay’s Five Levels of Security

1. Samsung Pay does not display card information

When making payments with Samsung Pay, no personal payment information such as user name and card number is displayed on the screen.

2. Tokenization helps secure your personal payment information

To replace credit card information, an encrypted token is used when making payments, so even in the case that the vendor’s POS terminal is hacked, personal payment information remains safe. The encrypted token is used only once and discarded after each payment.

3. Fingerprint / PIN authentication

Fingerprint or PIN registration is required to authenticate every payment. Only the user can authorize payments, reducing risk of fraud.

4. KNOX

Samsung Pay offers higher security through Samsung KNOX mobile security platform, which monitors device, detecting hacking risks and malicious activity.

5. Find My Mobile

In the case that a user might lose a phone, Find My Mobile (FMM) enables the user to lock device remotely or erase all personal payment information.

Simple to Use

In addition to being more secure and more universally accepted, Samsung Pay is easy to use. After registering with a Samsung account, users can complete registration in four steps. Simply scan or manually input card information, then scan fingerprint and/or input PIN for authentication. Verify card with the issuer and register signature (may vary according to location).

Once Samsung Pay is registered, accessing is simple. Finger swipe up on the locked screen, home screen or sleep mode to launch Samsung Pay. Swipe side to side to view and choose a registered card. To pay, simply scan fingerprint or enter PIN to authorize payments.

Samsung Pay is easy, secure and expedites the shopping experience. Samsung Pay is available on the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 edge, the Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Galaxy Note5. Samsung Pay will also support NFC technology on the Gear S2.