Everything you need to know about using Samsung Pay in Singapore
Why fumble for your credit cards from the wallet when you can just tap and pay with your smartphone?
That's exactly what you should be doing when Samsung Pay rolls into town. The mobile payment system, which has already launched in the US, South Korea, China and Spain, will make its south-east Asia debut in Singapore on 16 June.
Obviously, you probably have a few questions about Samsung Pay, much like you did when other mobile payment methods such as Apple Pay and NFC SIMs were launched.
Being your friendly neighbourhood Spider-man tech support, we provide the answers to all your burning questions about Samsung's upcoming mobile payment system.
What is Samsung Pay?
Think of it as a digital wallet that houses all your credit cards. Instead of digging out your credit card, handing it to the cashier to swipe and sign for the bill, you just tap a Samsung phone that supports Samsung Pay, make the transaction and you're done.
How does it work?
Pretty simple. It works on the same machines that you swipe your credit card with. No, really. Because Samsung Pay uses Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), which essentially emits a magnetic signal that emulates the magnetic swiping action on the credit card machine.
On top of that, it also works with Near Field Communication (NFC). If you noticed how some of your cards have the Visa payWave or Mastercard PayPass logos, that's what it is. That means you just tap the phone on an NFC terminal that has the PayWave or PayPass logo, and voila, payment done.
How do you use Samsung Pay?
It's just a matter of letting the Samsung phone scan your fingerprint or entering your personal identification number and placing the phone on the payment terminal. That's all it takes. We told you it's easy, and we weren't kidding.
Is it secure?
If you're that paranoid and don't believe your fingerprint keeps your payment secure, take heed that Samsung doesn't actually hold any of your credit card details. Instead, it uses an encrypted digital token for sensitive card information.
There's also an added security layer from Samsung KNOX, which keeps a lookout for malicious software and dodgy activities happening on your phone.
Does my Samsung smartphone support Samsung Pay?
If you're using the following Samsung phones running on Google Android Marshmallow, you can start adding your credit cards to the device from 16 June:
Does Samsung Pay support every bank in Singapore?
Once Samsung Pay is launched, your American Express, MasterCard and Visa cards, along with banks such as DBS/POSB, OCBC Bank and Standard Chartered, will be supported. UOB, unfortunately, is missing from the list.
Can I spend as much as I want with Samsung Pay?
Payments made via NFC, meaning payWave or PayPass, are limited to S$100 per transaction. Fortunately, if you're looking at a weekly grocery run that costs more than S$100, you can still use Samsung Pay on normal credit card terminals as there's no transaction limit with MST.
Show me where I can tap and pay with Samsung Pay
Oh boy, this is going to be a long list. But safe to say, any stores that already accept your credit cards will support Samsung Pay. Think grocery stores like NTUC, Cold Storage or retailers such as Challenger, Harvey Norman. Trust us, you can use Samsung Pay almost anywhere.
Well, except for hawker centres, where cash is still king.
ource
