Samsung Pay: What is it, where is it, and how to use it?

Samsung Pay uses NFC technology to transfer a credit or debit card’s information to a NFC-enabled payment terminal, just like how an NFC-enabled card would work. But what makes Samsung Pay so awesome is that it also works with traditional payment terminals and card machines by using MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology. NFC is still a relatively new technology, especially in emerging markets like India, which is where MST comes in.

What is MST?

Ever noticed the black magnetic strip at the back of a debit or credit card? The part you swipe through a card machine or terminal to make a payment? That strip is used to transfer the card details to the terminal, and MST emulates that magnetic strip to transfer card details saved on the Samsung Pay app thanks to a magnetic coil embedded on the back of the device. It means that Samsung Pay works at any place that has a traditional card machine or payment terminal, removing the need for a retailer or store to make any upgrades from their side.

What is NFC?

NFC stands for “Near Field Communication” and, as the name implies, it enables short range communication between compatible devices.

Samsung Pay is safer than having a physical card because it doesn’t actually store the actual card number. Simply put, Samsung Pay stores an encrypted version of the card number that is sent to payment terminals instead of the actual card number. It’s a virtual number of sorts, so the original card number is not stored anywhere on your phone.

Don’t worry, though: This doesn’t mean you have to create a special PIN for the card on your phone. Your card’s regular PIN works when you pay through Samsung Pay, so it’s secure and doesn’t require you to remember any special codes.

Samsung Pay also requires you to authenticate yourself on your phone before you can use it to make a payment. You can use the fingerprint sensor, enter the device PIN, or authenticate via the iris scanner on devices that have one. So a lot of security for a very convenient way to pay, making Samsung Pay quite trustworthy.

Absolutely. Samsung Pay isn’t just free, but Samsung also gives you reward points for using Samsung Pay for transactions. These points can then be redeemed for various products through many of Samsung Pay’s official retail partners.

Furthermore, Samsung and its bank partners have various promotions going on every now and then. These can range from cashbacks on all payments to additional reward points compared to the reward points your bank would give you if you used the physical card instead of Samsung Pay.

Since its inception, Samsung Pay has made its way to plenty of Galaxy smartphones. It started off with flagship phones but is now available on some mid-range devices and budget phones as well. 

Here’s the list of phones that work with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Pay is compatible with Galaxy Note9, Galaxy S9+, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S6 edge+, Note 5, Galaxy A8+, Galaxy A7 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017), A5 (2016), A7 (2016), Galaxy A9 Pro and Galaxy J7 Pro.

For Updated list of Compatible smartphones, Visit Here.

So, now that you know how Samsung Pay works, what devices it works on, and just how safe it is, it’s time for the most important question of all: How to set up Samsung Pay? Well, it’s an easy affair, but if you need a few instructions to make it even easier, we’re here to help. So, let’s begin.

Additionally check below video for the process of Registration.

Once you have added at least one card to Samsung Pay, you will be able to access Samsung Pay by swiping up from the bottom of the display on the home screen, the lock screen, and also when the phone is locked and the display is off. To make a payment using Samsung Pay, here’s what you need to do.