How does Samsung Pay work: with which banks, cards, devices?

To date, cash is gradually disappearing from everyday life and most of the purchases are made with the help of plastic cards. Everyone has a card, they are paid a salary, a scholarship, a pension, and so on. In each outlet there must be at least one terminal for payment with a plastic card. Bank cards have become an integral part of our lives and the destruction of cash is only a matter of time.

The next step in the development of technology is contactless payment. Many cards already support this technology and allow you to make purchases only by attaching the card to the terminal. This technology served as a catalyst for the emergence of specialized chips and payment systems in devices that we literally do not release from the hands - in our smartphones.

In 2016, Russia launched the Samsung Pay service, which allows owners of phones from the Samsung Galaxy series to make payments from bank cards without using the bank cards themselves. The article will deal with how Samsung Pay works, how safe it is and with what difficulties users will face. Compare the technology with the solutions of competitors.

System requirements

To begin with it is necessary to find out, on what devices Samsung Pay works. This technology requires not only software innovations, but also hardware, so you need to make sure that your smartphone supports this technology or not.

So, the payment system Samsung Pay works with the following gadgets:

• Samsung Galaxy S8;
• Samsung Galaxy S7;
• Samsung Galaxy S6 (with limitations);
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• Samsung Galaxy A7
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017);
• Samsung Gear S3.

These are those devices from Samsung that are equipped with NFC or MST chips and support modern software.

Unlike Apple or Google products, Samsung Pay looks very limited, because the number of supported devices is much lower. In the case of Apple, we get support for all smartphones released from 2014 (from 2013, if you connect Apple Watch), and in the case of Google supported in general, any gadgets that can install the official Android version 4.4, and such in the world hundreds Thousand.

Which banks work with Samsung Pay?

As in the case of other payment systems, the launch of the payment system was accompanied by a number of restrictions. For example, Sberbank concluded an agreement with Apple on an exclusive launch and for this reason Samsung lost the opportunity to connect this bank before the contract expires. Now the situation has stabilized and almost all popular banks work with all payment systems.

So, the banks that work with Samsung Pay are the following:

• Sberbank.
• BinBank.
• GAZPROMBANK.
• "Opening" (Roketbank).
• "Russian standard".
• "Tinkoff".
• And the electronic wallet "Yandex.Money".

It is important to understand with what cards Samsung Pay works. To connect to a payment system, you need a card that supports PayPass or PayWave. In the case of Visa cards, there are restrictions on the number of banks that work with Samsung Pay. With restrictions you can find on the official website of the company.

How to connect?

To start using Samsung Pay, you need to make sure that your gadget supports the payment system and download the application of the same name. When you enter the application, it will ask you to set a password (or fingerprint) to lock the screen. In the future, a pin or fingerprint will be used to confirm transactions. Then you need to attach the card itself. You can do this in two ways: manually, by entering all the data, or automatically by pointing the camera at it. The second option works well, but you still have to enter the CVV code yourself. If the card is suitable for the application, then immediately after this procedure, a check from the bank will follow. You will receive an SMS with a code to activate the payment system, without it you will not be able to make further payment. The final step is the addition of an electronic signature. It is needed very rarely, but when you need it, the card may not be near, and then the digital signature will help you out.

Is it safe to use Samsung Pay?

The issue of security worries users first. New technologies always inspire fear, especially when it comes to money. Even the bank cards were taken with difficulty. Concerning the security of the matter, the situation is as follows. In a nutshell, Samsung Pay is the safest way to calculate, which is safer than conventional cards. In more detail, smartphones use a special tokenization system. When a user attempts to make a payment, the phone does not use the data from the card, but creates a digital impression, each time unique, and shared with the terminal. The terminal is in contact with the bank and reports on successful payment (unless, of course, you have run out of money). Information about tokens is stored in the gadget itself, so you can pay for something even without the Internet.

Do not forget that each purchase must be confirmed, and for this the user must enter the pin code or attach his finger to the fingerprint sensor. Even if an intruder with a portable terminal steals by, he can not steal a penny from you, since he will not be able to confirm the payment.

But what about viruses and the hacking of the operating system, Android is far from being protected by iOS? In fact, everything is not so bad. Samsung implemented a proprietary security mechanism that continuously scans the system for malicious programs and vulnerabilities, and if the virus does penetrate it, the Samsung Pay service will be blocked and the payment data will be erased.

How does Samsung Pay work?

Let's move on to payment. Samsung Pay operates the same way as an ordinary bank card. And like any card, not just the one that supports NFC. The fact is that not all terminals in Russia support NFC. Many still work only with magnetic tape, so some phones can not be paid. This applies to the iPhone and all devices based on Android, except Samsung. When paying for the old models of terminals using proprietary technology MST. The phone creates a magnetic field, similar to what is created with the help of a magnetic bank card. The terminal reacts to it and accepts payment. So the answer to the question "where does Samsung Pay work?" It sounds like "everywhere".

Possible problems

Already at the start, when the technology was introduced to the masses, users faced a number of problems.

• Look again at which phones Samsung Pay works on. Users often ignore this simple task and run complaining at forums that the technology does not work as stated.
• Make sure that your phone has the latest version of the operating system. You need to go into the settings and check the firmware version so that the phone downloads the latest updates.
• Even if you installed the latest version of the operating system, the software may not be adapted to work in your country. For example, Samsung Pay did not work with S7 until the necessary work to launch the service was performed on the manufacturer's side. Perhaps it's worth waiting a little. Do not forget that you must have the original firmware installed, without root-rights. If you hacked the system or bought a phone from your hands, contact an authorized service center where you will restore the original firmware.
• Do not forget that for the operation of any service from Samsung, you need a personal account, which the phone offers to create even at the time of launch. If you have not done so already, go to the settings and find the submenu "Accounts".
• In the case of smartphones from the Galaxy S6 line, payment through the MST does not work, so make sure before the payment that the terminal supports contactless payment (usually there is an appropriate icon in the form of waves).

Promotions and discounts

To attract users to the new technology, Samsung agreed with a number of Russian brands on the organization of advertising campaigns. One of these was the campaign "Pay with a smartphone. Movie tickets". Under the terms of the action, anyone who bought a ticket at the Kinohod service through Samsung Pay received a 100% discount on the next purchase. Now there is a 50% discount for a trip to the metro on the MCC line. In the US, Samsung has launched an even larger and longer-term action. There, every purchase made with the help of the company's payment service allows you to accumulate points that you can then spend on other items in the Samsung Rewards store. When this service reaches Russia is unknown.

First impressions and reviews

Many owners of gadgets from Samsung really liked the idea of combining a purse and a smartphone. It's so simple! A smartphone is much more convenient and useful than cash or a card, and most importantly, it is always with us. The first feedback on how Samsung Pay works is encouraging. It's almost a year since people use the payment system and mostly react positively to a new (for someone already familiar) experience. The system works in all large shopping centers, with the help of a phone without a problem pay fast food and trips to the metro. Many have already forgotten about where their bank card is, because it is no longer needed. Not always the technology responds adequately to sellers and cashiers. Instruction was conducted in all large networks, but somewhere in the covered market you may face puzzling looks or even fright, so be vigilant.

Instead of concluding

Samsung Pay has a lot of advantages over conventional bank cards. This is certainly a very successful technology, which will eventually become more in demand. A purse in a smartphone is exactly what a modern person needs to make it even easier to part with your blood. It's convenient, safe and very fast, and once you try, you'll want to try again and again, because now you know how Samsung Pay works and you can do it. Nevertheless, do not forget the first time to carry a map and a few cash in hand, because the situation is different.

Pros:

• Works with terminals without an NFC chip.
• Different options for protecting payments.
• Discounts and promotions.

Minuses:

• Does not work on hacked devices.
• Limited number of smartphones that work with the payment system.