With the launch of Samsung Pay in Mexico, users with a compatible Galaxy device^* will now be able to easily make purchases through their smartphones at nearly any establishment across the country that accepts credit, debit, or loyalty cards.

While other payment platforms are limited by their use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, Samsung Pay offers both NFC and its proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, making it the most widely accepted mobile payment solution on the market. MST works by releasing a signal that acts like a traditional payment card’s magnetic band, allowing users to pay at nearly any conventional point of sale terminal^**.

To bring this service to Mexico, Samsung strategically partnered with some of the country’s leading financial partners, including payment providers (American Express, MasterCard and Visa); banks (Banorte, Banregio, Citibanamex, HSBC and Santander); and banking acquirers, services and tools such as Clip and iZettle.

“We are excited to expand Samsung Pay across Latin America and are confident that our customers in Mexico will embrace the ability to easily pay and earn rewards through the convenience of their smartphones,” said Claudia Contreras, Marketing Director of Samsung Electronics Mexico. “We will continue working to forge alliances with additional partner institutions that our customers care about to reach even more users and help drive the growth of the digital economy.”

In addition to its widespread acceptance and ease of use, Samsung Pay is also one of the most secure payment options for users. Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to ensure its transactions are secure: biometric authentication through fingerprint or iris recognition; tokenization, a system that generates virtual information for each transaction rather than storing financial details in the device; and integration with Samsung Knox, the defense-grade security platform that monitors the device in real time to prevent suspicious use.

For a full list of partners that have aligned with Samsung Pay in Mexico, please visit: www.samsung.com/mx/samsungpay.

^*In Mexico, Samsung Pay is compatible with the Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018), Galaxy A5 (2016 and 2017), Galaxy A7 (2016 and 2017), Galaxy A9 (2016), Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy J5Pro and Galaxy J7Pro. Samsung Pay is exclusively for Samsung Galaxy smartphones and available through select payment networks, banks and retailers. The service’s availability is subject to change.

^**Available almost anywhere, subject to Samsung Pay’s compatibility with MST and/or NFC payment terminals. Card readers on certain payment terminals could require a software update in order to become fully compatible with Samsung Pay.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has presented, for the first time in Mexico, a video that uses Samsung’s virtual reality technology to raise awareness about the reality many children in Mexico face. Through the eyes of a Mixtec girl, the video shows what life is like in one of the most vulnerable communities in Montaña de Guerrero.

The video, entitled La Canción del Lobo Feroz (The Song of the Wild Wolf), tells the story of how children try to get their lives back on track after a tragedy, as well as fighting to stay in school no matter how difficult the conditions are.

The video was filmed in the communities of Metlatonoc, San Miguel Almotepec, San Juan Puerto Montaña, Cochoapa El Grande and Loma de San Marcos in the region of Montaña de Guerrero. These communities were severely affected by Hurricanes Manuel and Ingrid in September 2013, which left landslides and floods in their wake, as well as considerable losses of human life and material damage. Furthermore, the communities are at risk given the erosion of the mountain and earthquakes in the region.

The community of Loma de San Marcos is part of the poorest area in Mexico. According to the United Nations Development Program, this area has a Human Development Index 2.5 times below that of the country average. Since the hurricanes in 2013, this community has not had access to basic services, such as electricity or water, nor has it had access to medical treatment.

La Canción del Lobo Feroz is a story of overcoming adversity in a community where children recover from a natural disaster, sing a song to come to terms with their losses and remember the importance of being prepared to act in an emergency. The “wild wolf” can take the form of a hurricane, an earthquake or a storm, and the children need to be ready when it comes back.

“UNICEF is working to ensure that the children go to school and learn, especially those children who need it the most. And it is not just about formal education, but rather about skills that help them overcome disasters, such as hurricanes or floods,” commented Isabel Crowley, a UNICEF Representative in Mexico.

UNICEF promotes school safety through the creation of Risk and Disaster Prevention Plans for Schools, which actively involve the entire community (teachers, parent and children) in order to help them prepare to cope with these dangerous situations.

For this campaign, UNICEF teamed up with Samsung Electronics Mexico, an official sponsor of the program. Thanks to its virtual reality visors, the Samsung Gear VR, people can learn more about these communities and take a virtual tour of the La Montaña de Guerrero as part of a unique immersive experience.

Samsung’s virtual reality technology offers high-definition graphics for improved visual quality, making it possible for viewers to explore new worlds and surroundings in a completely realistic and sensorial manner.

“Here at Samsung, we are always looking for ways to use our technological innovations to drive positive changes in the communities in which we operate. In Mexico, we have focused our social responsibility programs on promoting better education opportunities for children and young people. That is why we are exceedingly proud to be collaborating with UNICEF. We are certain that this creative campaign will successfully raise awareness among thousands of people and get them to actively join the fight to combat these problems,” commented Miguel Jeon, CFO of Samsung Electronics Mexico.

The video is part of a fundraising campaign to invite people to set up a monthly donation using their credit card via the www.donaunicef.org.mx website, or via UNICEF promoters who can be found at malls, parks, museums and companies in a number of states throughout Mexico. Aleks Syntek, Yolanda Andrade, CD9, Javier Jatti and Michel Jourdain have also joined forces with this campaign.

The funds raised will be earmarked for programs that promote education, provide emergency relief, prevent child labor and combat violence in order to offer boys and girls the opportunity to grow up healthily and fulfill their full potential.