What is Samsung Pay, how does it work, and which banks support it?

(Pocket-lint) - Samsung Pay is akin to Apple Pay and Google Pay. It is simply a level for Samsung devices - smartphones and wearables - that allows you to wage for goods and services by tapping your Samsung device adjacent a contactless outgo terminal oregon authorising an online payment, alternatively than utilizing currency oregon recognition cards.

Here's everything you request to know, including what banks are supported and however it works.

What bash I request for Samsung Pay?

The Samsung Pay level is baked into Samsung Galaxy devices, which includes the company's smartphones and wearables. You tin find the afloat database of compatible devices below.

To usage Samsung Pay, you'll request to download and instal the Samsung Pay app connected your compatible phone, registry compatible cards and accounts and the level volition gully straight from these chosen sources erstwhile making a payment.

What devices are compatible with Samsung Pay?

Below is simply a database of the Samsung smartphones that enactment Samsung Pay.

• Galaxy Fold
• Galaxy Z Flip
• Galaxy S21 FE
• Galaxy S21 Ultra
• Galaxy S21+
• Galaxy S21
• Galaxy S20
• Galaxy S20+
• Galaxy S20 Ultra
• Galaxy Note 20
• Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
• Galaxy A70s
• Galaxy A71
• Galaxy A51
• Galaxy Note 10
• Galaxy Note 10+
• Galaxy A70
• Galaxy A80
• Galaxy A30s
• Galaxy A50s
• Galaxy S10+
• Galaxy S10
• Galaxy S10E
• Galaxy A70
• Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy S9+
• Galaxy S9
• Galaxy Note 8
• Galaxy S8+
• Galaxy S8
• Galaxy S7 edge
• Galaxy S7
• Galaxy S6 edge+
• Galaxy Note 5
• Galaxy A8+
• Galaxy A7 (2017)
• Galaxy A5 (2017)
• Galaxy A5 (2016)
• Galaxy A7 (2016)
• Galaxy A9 Pro
• Galaxy J7 Pro

This is the existent database of Samsung wearables that enactment Samsung Pay: 

• Gear S2
• Gear S3
• Gear Sport
• Galaxy Watch
• Galaxy Watch Active
• Galaxy Watch Active2 40mm
• Galaxy Watch Active2 44mm
• Galaxy Watch3 42mm
• Galaxy Watch3 45mm

How does Samsung Pay work?

When utilizing a phone: by swiping up from the bottommost of the display, the Samsung Pay app volition motorboat and your default paper volition look on with a connection to authenticate a outgo with your PIN, fingerprint, oregon iris scanner connected compatible devices. You tin besides motorboat Samsung Pay by opening the app.

If a antithetic paper is needed, a elemental near oregon close swipe volition bring up others stored successful your phone. The past paper you utilized volition automatically look arsenic the default paper the adjacent clip you unfastened the app but you tin alteration this successful settings.

Once the outgo has been biometrically authorised, the telephone tells you to pat it onto the contactless outgo scholar and bingo, a outgo is made via NFC (near tract communication).

When utilizing a smartwatch: From immoderate compatible Samsung Galaxy smartwatch screen, property and clasp the Back key. The past utilized paper volition beryllium shown and the smartwatch is past acceptable to marque a payment. Tap the "Pay" fastener on-screen to Pay and clasp your wrist to the contactless outgo reader.

Samsung Pay: More than NFC

Samsung Pay offers much than conscionable NFC successful immoderate regions - specified arsenic the US - by besides offering a mobile wallet exertion called MST (Magnetic Strip Technology), which it acquired erstwhile it bought LoopPay.

MST allows a contactless outgo to beryllium made with terminals that bash not diagnostic NFC readers (mostly extracurricular the UK), which opens up a batch much retailers to the outgo tech.

It tin besides nonstop the outgo accusation to accepted terminals successful stores that person the old-fashioned magnetic portion instead.

A two-step outgo process works similar so: LoopPay's app manages and securely stores each your outgo cards (including credit, debit, loyalty, and acquisition cards) connected a mobile device, portion the LoopPay instrumentality (LoopPay Fob, ChargeCase, Card, oregon CardCase) processes your outgo astatine the checkout arsenic if you had swiped your paper similar usual.

There is nary information of paying doubly arsenic the telephone volition prioritise an NFC awesome if it finds one, portion MST is passive and volition lone beryllium utilised if nary different contactless outgo awesome is recovered first.

What banks are compatible with Samsung Pay?

These are a fewer of the compatible banks and services supported by Samsung Pay successful the US:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• American Express
• JP Morgan Chase
• Bank of America
• Citi
• US Bank
• PNC  
• Chase

Click present for a agelong database of further providers successful the US. 

These are a fewer of the compatible banks and services supported by Samsung Pay successful the UK:

• American Express
• Danske Bank
• Santander
• MBNA
• Nationwide
• HSBC
• First Direct
• M&S Bank 
• Co-op Bank
• Starling Bank
• John Lewis Finance

Click present for the afloat database of providers successful the UK.

What are the outgo limits connected Samsung Pay?

The outgo bounds is acceptable by the slope oregon vendor, not by Samsung, truthful is antithetic successful antithetic regions - not a fixed £100 maximum per transaction, arsenic with contactless cards.

On the full though, you volition not beryllium restricted to a circumstantial bounds successful the UK, conscionable similar you aren't with Apple Pay. 

How unafraid is Samsung Pay?

In presumption of security, Samsung Pay details are protected by Samsung's Knox real-time hacking surveillance and rooting prevention, and nary paper details are stored connected either a Samsung server oregon the instrumentality itself.

Just similar Apple Pay, Samsung Pay uses tokenisation. Card payments are made unafraid by creating a fig oregon token that replaces your paper details. This token is stored wrong a unafraid constituent spot connected your device, and erstwhile a outgo is initiated, the token is passed to the retailer oregon merchant. The retailer truthful ne'er has nonstop entree to your paper details.

In addition, Samsung Pay offers ARM TrustZone to further support transaction accusation from attacks.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Luke Baker.