The Live stream watched by more than 237,000 people was a low-key affair – a large screen on stage and Samsung employees - no paid celebrities - presenting with passion and sincerity. This article is a blog style to get it to you quickly - more details will follow as we learn them.

Samsung electronics, President and CEO JK Shin said Samsung’s philosophy was simple, “Listen to you and offer better products first. That takes great minds, persistence and courage. Better devices drive the industry. A smartphone demands a bigger screen to do more – emails and movies – multitasking.”

“What does it take to stay ahead of the curve – take the rules then bend them and think of the next big thing.”

{loadposition ray}

Galaxy S6 Edge+ 5.7” SUPER AMOLED

Design cues from the S6 Edge but with a superior display (518 ppi, 2560 x 1440), great camera and definitely best in class – the most advanced technology in a smartphone today.

Biggest display in slimmer smaller package. Metal and glass – stronger, thinner and lighter. Curved the glass on the back makes it easier to hold. Designed for one-handed use yet gives a larger 5.7” screen in a smaller package – 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9mm and 153g. Kind of, ‘If you thought Edge was good then this is better.’

New features include ‘Live Broadcast’ straight from the phone – new app included called Live Broadcast goes straight to YouTube.

Apps Edge as well as contacts Edge – customisable swipe the Edge from any frame to give you access to selected apps and contacts.

And a QWERTY keyboard and cover- Snaps/folds on back out of the way. Interesting - see photo at the end of the article.

Galaxy Note 5 – 5.7” Super AMOLED

Samsung gave us a big screen with a pen and created a new concept ‘category’. Samsung believed in the ‘Note’ - a larger canvas that made more possible. A larger screen lets you do more – collaborate in the cloud. Bigger screens have gone from nice to have to must have.

But there is a paradox of size – people want a big brilliant display but do not want a big bulky phone. It is the first thing you look at in the morning and last thing at night.

S Pen is to the note what the mouse is to the PC. More solid and balanced, like writing with a ballpoint pen. Write when the screen is off – take a quick note on the fly. Improved air commands – hovering - gives you instant access to all tools in any screen. Improved screen capture – long list without having to take multiple screen shots.

Tech Specs for both devices.

SideSync: to connect external devices to the smartphone. Drag and drop files from phone to PC/Mac and back.

Battery: Power saving, fast charge (USB) and wireless charge – combine them for fast wireless charging – 2 hours to full (improvement of 30%). A cord free future coming where battery can be charged anywhere – Star Bucks and Ikea have started. Place you smartphone on a table – betting on a cord free future.

In store August 21 in US and Canada.

Samsung Pay will be accepted by more people from day one

Samsung Pay is simple, safe and open to all card types. Credit/debit card, department store branded credit cards, gift cards and loyalty/membership cards.

Samsung found that mag-stripe card readers are in most stores. The challenge - Samsung Pay had to utilise more than NFC as most stores do not have it.

S6 and later works with all mag strip, NFC and barcode readers and so it will be accepted anywhere. If retailers can swipe a card, they will accept Samsung Pay – Amex, Master Card and Visa and many more to come.

Samsung Pay is safe – uses Knox making it one of the safest wireless payment solutions in the industry. Personally identifiable information is not transmitted – a one-time use security code is transmitted.

Samsung Electronics Australia is currently working with local financial institutions to customise Samsung Pay with an anticipated launch in 2016. We look forward to sharing more information closer to the launch.”

Availability from 20 August in Korea and 20 September in US followed by rest of the world.

What is the next big thing?

Samsung invites partners and developers to be a part of what is next – Berlin 20 November.

Samsung Pay has joined the Visa Digital Enablement program (VDEP) to accelerate that rollout and access the Visa Token Service (VTS) to offer secure mobile payments.

“Samsung Pay is now one more way consumers can make secure payments based on tokens - technology that is quickly becoming the standard for safe mobile payments,” said Jim McCarthy, Executive Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Visa. “Similar to how Samsung Pay is reaching mass merchant acceptance on day one, VDEP is making it easy and cost-effective for payment providers, financial institutions and technology companies like Samsung to take full advantage of token technology and bring secure mobile payments to consumers everywhere.”

{loadposition ray}

Samsung Pay is supported by VTS that replaces sensitive personal and account information found on physical cards with a unique digital identifier that can be used to authorize payment without exposing actual account details. Combined with Samsung’s KNOX security platform and fingerprint authentication, Samsung Pay delivers a secure payment experience.

“As we launch Samsung Pay, we are proud to have Visa as a day one partner,” said InJong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics, Global Head of Samsung Pay. “Visa Digital Enablement Program allows financial institutions to easily offer Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service that can be used to make purchases nearly anywhere cards are accepted.”

The main advantage of Samsung Pay is that it will work with the multitude of endpoints – mag stripe readers, pay wave (NFC), barcode and more. It will also act as a wallet for loyalty and membership cards – any card that uses a chip or mag stripe can be loaded into the system.

Opinion

It is nice to see advances in this field and the use of a token system and two factor authentication (fingerprint and at payment time) is an excellent way to secure personal data. Yes you can lose your smartphone but remember Samsung Pay only works if authentication is turned on – your data is safe.

According to the survey, concern around the vulnerability of online payment transactions is leading to an increasing number of consumers abandoning it. These concerns affect user confidence - 54% said they worried about their vulnerability when purchasing products or making financial transactions online.

47% agreed that they would use online payments more often if they had reliable protection for financial transactions. 43% even admitted they have abandoned an online payment transaction in the past because it did not seem secure enough.

Ross Hogan, Global Head of the Fraud Prevention Division at Kaspersky Lab said, “Personal financial information is clearly valuable to cyber-attackers, who may be looking to exploit user details or even sell them to third parties for a profit. It is understandable that people are increasingly concerned about the risk of online fraud.

Banks should be putting robust solutions in place to provide their customers with confidence in the convenience of online and mobile banking. At the same time, banking customers shouldn’t be letting their fears get in the way of enjoying the benefits of making financial transactions online. By using an appropriate Internet security solution, they can take their own steps to protect their money from fraud.

But 11% of consumers do not currently use any security solution on mobile, tablet, desktop or notebook computers to protect themselves from cyber-threats. Banks should a help their customers to stay safe from online fraud. For example, the Kaspersky Fraud Prevention platform for banks proactively defends against the root causes of digital banking fraud, securing financial transactions on different user devices.

{loadposition ray}Kaspersky Lab Safe Money feature for Mac and Windows devices is included in Kaspersky Internet Security – Multi-Device and Kaspersky Total Security – Multi-Device and checks bank websites and user devices for possible threats and ensuring a safe environment for user transactions.

Opinion

Some time ago I interviewed a major bank about credit card fraud asking why it did not take a stronger stance to prevent it. The answer, although sanitised and convoluted boiled down to two things.

First, the cost of credit card usage and merchant fees had a percentage built-in to cover fraud – and the merchants are doing nicely thanks.

Second, and more horrifying, is that banks were looking to move fraud responsibility back to the user – if it was not the bank’s fault. If the consumer’s negligence had contributed in any way – then it would not cover losses.

The Guardian stated “Clear rules state banks can only refuse to refund a customer if they acted "fraudulently" or had been "grossly negligent". There is growing evidence that the banks are taking a tougher line and refusing a refund – in some cases for the sole reason the thief used the card with a merchant the account holder had also done business with.”

I don’t know how far this has progressed in Australia but a quick search seems to indicate the Guardian is correct.

This also raises the issue of mobile device payments – currently Apple Pay and Samsung pay.

According to Newsweek US Apple Pay has become the target for fraudsters since its launch. Because Apple Pay lets users store credit card information on their smartphone – despite its robust security features – fraudsters apparently discovered that it is fairly easy to upload stolen credit cards to Apple Pay. Apple insists on a "frictionless" user experience and requires little in the way of verifying users are who they say they are.

Cherian Abraham, a mobile-banking consultant who advises an Android-based competitor to Apple called SimplyTapp, wrote in a blog post (worth a read) that as much as 6 percent of Apple Pay transactions may be fraudulent. That’s significantly higher than credit card transactions, which have an average fraud rate of 1 percent, according to Abraham.

I am sure that Apple and its banks are doing everything they can to minimise fraud. Currently in Australia only American Express has partnered with Apple.

Oberthur Technologies (OT), a leading global provider of embedded security software products, services and solutions, has announced its support for the international go-to-market of Android Pay with its first launch in Australia scheduled for the first half of 2016.

Android Pay will allow end-users to make contactless payments with all NFC-enabled Android devices (running KitKat 4.4+). With its Digital Enablement Platform, OT will support Financial Institutions in offering their customers this new service by enrolling their payment cards into Android Pay.

OT’s Digital Enablement Platform is a comprehensive solution which supports enrolment, mobile provisioning and token lifecycle management in digital wallets, irrespective of the underlying technologies and related security, either hardware or software-based secure elements.

Together, OT and Android Pay will offer Financial Institutions a one-stop-shop platform to enable and operate the service.

{loadposition ray}

"Mobile payments is a big priority for Google and we're working to support a wide range of issuers to make Android Pay available to everyone," says Pali Bhat, Senior Director, Product Management, Google, "OT's integration takes us one step further in this direction".

“We are very proud to work with Google on the deployment of Android Pay, in particular in Australia which is one of the most advanced contactless markets and therefore of strategic importance for OT’s digital payments activities. We are convinced that our technology assets and international experience in the field of digital security and mobile issuance will help accelerate the availability of Android Pay to end-users,” said Marek Juda, Managing Director of OT’s Connected Device Makers business.

Comment

Mobile payments are the next big thing. Over 80% of Australian’s use Android so it will succeed by volume alone.

As iTWire reported today, Catch-of-the-Day has enabled Apple Pay on its iOS app but the Catch-22-of-the-Day is that it only works using Amex at a very limited number of outlets. Apple has apparently asked for too high a cut of the interchange fees – Amex can afford to do so, but Visa, MasterCard, EFTPOS, PayPal, and other payment methods cannot meet its demands.

Google’s Android Pay is apparently not nearly as demanding and is expected to launch with most major banks (rumoured to be CBA, Westpac, ANZ and all their subsidiaries). Its functionality supports both debit and credit Visa and MasterCard, EFTPOS, and it will also support Amex and Diners Club. It also can store store gift cards, loyalty cards, and special offers on the phone. If the device has a fingerprint or other biometric identification it may not require a PIN.

In Australia, almost 70% of credit card transactions are now tap and go. This means merchants can accept Android Pay immediately.

Android Pay will become one of many mobile payment options with most banks also working on mobile payment solutions. Most are launching new app updates to allow their customers to pay direct from their phone using tap-and-pay or to withdraw money from an ATM without a card, using just their mobile.

What you may not know is that a percentage of each transaction – generally called a merchant fee and an Interchange fee – pays for the cost of using a payment system and for credit card loyalty programs.

Samsung introduced its contactless payment capability to Australia in 2013 when it partnered with some of Australia’s major financial institutions to provide Samsung Galaxy smartphone users (S6 and Note 5 or later with fingerprint authentication) the opportunity to use their mobile device to make purchases at compatible point of sale terminals.

Samsung Pay – coming to Australia this year - is the next evolution in Samsung’s mobile payment system designed to act as complete wallet replacement for users. It will offer Australians a simple, safe way to shop and spend almost anywhere, on existing point-of-sale (POS) terminals. Importantly it does not charge interchange fees to partners so it will be widely accepted.

It has provided a Q&A explaining the technology.

• Samsung Pay can support financial and tokenised transactions through Near Field Communication (NFC) and Magnetic Strip Transmission (MST) technology.
• NFC and MST transaction functionality form the basis for how the majority of payment and tokenized transactions are processed by financial institutions and retailers around the world and in Australia.
• Samsung Pay will have the capability to support online payments in applications and web.
• Samsung’s proprietary mobile payment technology which controls the transfer of transactions and information (via MST) can send secure, encrypted card information to a magnetic card reader.
• Samsung Pay can support limited transactions without internet connectivity in offline mode.

{loadposition ray}

Samsung Pay has an open engagement model designed to operate with a wide range of partner’s systems and payment channels.

• This model is designed to support cards (payment and non-payment) from multiple providers within a single digital wallet, for the convenience of users.
• The engagement model has also been designed to provide an easy experience for partner organisations to operate with.
• Samsung Pay does not charge transaction interchange fees to partners.

Samsung Pay has the ability to offer users a “total wallet replacement” through support of a variety of card types including:

• Payment solutions: Support in-store payment and online / in app payments, with the goal of being an alternative to physical bank cards and credit cards.
• Services solutions: If the MST component is adopted in Australia, support partner services currently provided in physical form often in the form of magnetic strip cards. Service solutions may include gift cards, loyalty cards, transit, and membership identification.
• Samsung Pay has the potential to be leveraged by an array of partners, ranging from major retailers to government departments and financial institutions.

Samsung Pay has a simple, three step process for making payments in-store:

• Swipe up: Users can swipe up from the home button to access a desired service. Or, select the Samsung Pay app icon from their home screen or app tray.
• Scan: Users can authorise transactions by scanning their fingerprint or entering their PIN.
• Pay: To finalise the transaction, users then hold their phone over the card reader.

 Samsung Pay takes advantage of Samsung’s most advanced mobile security features, including:

• EMV Tokenisation: Samsung Pay is based on the global EMVCo5 standard for mobile transactions. This standard uses a temporary digital token to replace card information. Using a digital token helps keep people’s personal and card information secure.
• Samsung KNOX: In the event that a phone is lost Samsung’s built-in KNOX technology helps a user’s card and payment information stay secure and safe.
• Remote Deactivation: If a phone is lost the user can also deactivate Samsung Pay remotely using Samsung’s Find My Mobile service.
• Fingerprint Authorisation: Samsung’s advanced fingerprint technology helps safeguard purchases with a quick touch of the finger from the approved user.

Samsung Pay in other markets

• Samsung Pay is already available in the U.S and South Korea and in addition to Australia will be launched in China, Spain and the U.K in 2016.
• In South Korea, Samsung Pay launched in August 2015 and in its first month recorded 1.5 million total transactions, accumulating $USD 30 million in transaction value.
• In 2015, more than 10 million transactions were performed on Samsung Pay in Korea with a value of more than US$211 million (250 billion KRW).
• In December 2015, Samsung Pay welcomed a transportation card service for South Korean users. This brings together the local T-Money and Cashbee transportation payment methods into one easy-to-use mobile service.
• Samsung Pay was introduced to the US in September 2015 and has experienced a tremendous response in that market. It is now the most accepted mobile payment system in the US. Samsung is now working with the four payment networks: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa, major banks including American Express, Bank of America, Chase, Citi, PNC, U.S. Bank and all of US carriers to extend Samsung Pay to the U.S.
• In December 2015, Samsung announced that in the U.S market Samsung Pay supports popular gift cards for over 50 merchants in the U.S. including, Toys“R”Us, Domino’s, Nike and eBay.

You can read more at Samsung’s US website.

According to the new rreport from Juniper Research - Contactless Payments: NFC Handsets, Wearables & Payment Cards 2016-2020 - the industry has already received a strong stimulus from the launch of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay in selected key markets.

It cited the case of the recent arrival of Apple Pay in China, where nearly 40 million payment cards were registered to the service in 24 hours in mid-February.

Furthermore, the research argued that with nearly 1 in 5 POS (Point of Sale) terminals in the US now contactless-capable, the infrastructure is in place for that market to experience traction.

It anticipated that NFC smartphones would be the primary initial driver of contactless payments in the US, given the limited number of cards that currently offer the facility.
{loadposition stan}

The research also anticipated that models based on HCE (Host Card Emulation) would be widely deployed by banks and a number of leading OTT (Over The Top) players. It noted that HCE – where credentials and other sensitive data are stored in the cloud – had already been deployed by over 50 financial institutions, including Barclays Bank in the UK.

According to research co-author Dr Windsor Holden, “The combination of HCE and tokenisation is extremely attractive to banks. HCE means that they are not dependent on a mobile operator to enable the service; tokenisation reduces the burden on the issuer and allows them to use their existing infrastructure.”

However, the research was less optimistic about the prospects for solutions based around NFC stickers, arguing that phones using prepaid top-up contactless wallets without a secure element represented a significant security risk.

It pointed out that even where closed-loop solutions were employed, thieves could simply spend the wallet’s balance at participating retail outlets.

The whitepaper, ‘NFC-No Contact Required’, is now available to download from the Juniper website if you’re prepared to register.

The Live stream watched by more than 237,000 people was a low-key affair – a large screen on stage and Samsung employees - no paid celebrities - presenting with passion and sincerity. This article is a blog style to get it to you quickly - more details will follow as we learn them.

Samsung electronics, President and CEO JK Shin said Samsung’s philosophy was simple, “Listen to you and offer better products first. That takes great minds, persistence and courage. Better devices drive the industry. A smartphone demands a bigger screen to do more – emails and movies – multitasking.”

“What does it take to stay ahead of the curve – take the rules then bend them and think of the next big thing.”

{loadposition ray}

Galaxy S6 Edge+ 5.7” SUPER AMOLED

Design cues from the S6 Edge but with a superior display (518 ppi, 2560 x 1440), great camera and definitely best in class – the most advanced technology in a smartphone today.

Biggest display in slimmer smaller package. Metal and glass – stronger, thinner and lighter. Curved the glass on the back makes it easier to hold. Designed for one-handed use yet gives a larger 5.7” screen in a smaller package – 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9mm and 153g. Kind of, ‘If you thought Edge was good then this is better.’

New features include ‘Live Broadcast’ straight from the phone – new app included called Live Broadcast goes straight to YouTube.

Apps Edge as well as contacts Edge – customisable swipe the Edge from any frame to give you access to selected apps and contacts.

And a QWERTY keyboard and cover- Snaps/folds on back out of the way. Interesting - see photo at the end of the article.

Galaxy Note 5 – 5.7” Super AMOLED

Samsung gave us a big screen with a pen and created a new concept ‘category’. Samsung believed in the ‘Note’ - a larger canvas that made more possible. A larger screen lets you do more – collaborate in the cloud. Bigger screens have gone from nice to have to must have.

But there is a paradox of size – people want a big brilliant display but do not want a big bulky phone. It is the first thing you look at in the morning and last thing at night.

S Pen is to the note what the mouse is to the PC. More solid and balanced, like writing with a ballpoint pen. Write when the screen is off – take a quick note on the fly. Improved air commands – hovering - gives you instant access to all tools in any screen. Improved screen capture – long list without having to take multiple screen shots.

Tech Specs for both devices.

SideSync: to connect external devices to the smartphone. Drag and drop files from phone to PC/Mac and back.

Battery: Power saving, fast charge (USB) and wireless charge – combine them for fast wireless charging – 2 hours to full (improvement of 30%). A cord free future coming where battery can be charged anywhere – Star Bucks and Ikea have started. Place you smartphone on a table – betting on a cord free future.

In store August 21 in US and Canada.

Samsung Pay will be accepted by more people from day one

Samsung Pay is simple, safe and open to all card types. Credit/debit card, department store branded credit cards, gift cards and loyalty/membership cards.

Samsung found that mag-stripe card readers are in most stores. The challenge - Samsung Pay had to utilise more than NFC as most stores do not have it.

S6 and later works with all mag strip, NFC and barcode readers and so it will be accepted anywhere. If retailers can swipe a card, they will accept Samsung Pay – Amex, Master Card and Visa and many more to come.

Samsung Pay is safe – uses Knox making it one of the safest wireless payment solutions in the industry. Personally identifiable information is not transmitted – a one-time use security code is transmitted.

Samsung Electronics Australia is currently working with local financial institutions to customise Samsung Pay with an anticipated launch in 2016. We look forward to sharing more information closer to the launch.”

Availability from 20 August in Korea and 20 September in US followed by rest of the world.

What is the next big thing?

Samsung invites partners and developers to be a part of what is next – Berlin 20 November.

Samsung Pay has joined the Visa Digital Enablement program (VDEP) to accelerate that rollout and access the Visa Token Service (VTS) to offer secure mobile payments.

“Samsung Pay is now one more way consumers can make secure payments based on tokens - technology that is quickly becoming the standard for safe mobile payments,” said Jim McCarthy, Executive Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Visa. “Similar to how Samsung Pay is reaching mass merchant acceptance on day one, VDEP is making it easy and cost-effective for payment providers, financial institutions and technology companies like Samsung to take full advantage of token technology and bring secure mobile payments to consumers everywhere.”

{loadposition ray}

Samsung Pay is supported by VTS that replaces sensitive personal and account information found on physical cards with a unique digital identifier that can be used to authorize payment without exposing actual account details. Combined with Samsung’s KNOX security platform and fingerprint authentication, Samsung Pay delivers a secure payment experience.

“As we launch Samsung Pay, we are proud to have Visa as a day one partner,” said InJong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics, Global Head of Samsung Pay. “Visa Digital Enablement Program allows financial institutions to easily offer Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service that can be used to make purchases nearly anywhere cards are accepted.”

The main advantage of Samsung Pay is that it will work with the multitude of endpoints – mag stripe readers, pay wave (NFC), barcode and more. It will also act as a wallet for loyalty and membership cards – any card that uses a chip or mag stripe can be loaded into the system.

Opinion

It is nice to see advances in this field and the use of a token system and two factor authentication (fingerprint and at payment time) is an excellent way to secure personal data. Yes you can lose your smartphone but remember Samsung Pay only works if authentication is turned on – your data is safe.

According to the survey, concern around the vulnerability of online payment transactions is leading to an increasing number of consumers abandoning it. These concerns affect user confidence - 54% said they worried about their vulnerability when purchasing products or making financial transactions online.

47% agreed that they would use online payments more often if they had reliable protection for financial transactions. 43% even admitted they have abandoned an online payment transaction in the past because it did not seem secure enough.

Ross Hogan, Global Head of the Fraud Prevention Division at Kaspersky Lab said, “Personal financial information is clearly valuable to cyber-attackers, who may be looking to exploit user details or even sell them to third parties for a profit. It is understandable that people are increasingly concerned about the risk of online fraud.

Banks should be putting robust solutions in place to provide their customers with confidence in the convenience of online and mobile banking. At the same time, banking customers shouldn’t be letting their fears get in the way of enjoying the benefits of making financial transactions online. By using an appropriate Internet security solution, they can take their own steps to protect their money from fraud.

But 11% of consumers do not currently use any security solution on mobile, tablet, desktop or notebook computers to protect themselves from cyber-threats. Banks should a help their customers to stay safe from online fraud. For example, the Kaspersky Fraud Prevention platform for banks proactively defends against the root causes of digital banking fraud, securing financial transactions on different user devices.

{loadposition ray}Kaspersky Lab Safe Money feature for Mac and Windows devices is included in Kaspersky Internet Security – Multi-Device and Kaspersky Total Security – Multi-Device and checks bank websites and user devices for possible threats and ensuring a safe environment for user transactions.

Opinion

Some time ago I interviewed a major bank about credit card fraud asking why it did not take a stronger stance to prevent it. The answer, although sanitised and convoluted boiled down to two things.

First, the cost of credit card usage and merchant fees had a percentage built-in to cover fraud – and the merchants are doing nicely thanks.

Second, and more horrifying, is that banks were looking to move fraud responsibility back to the user – if it was not the bank’s fault. If the consumer’s negligence had contributed in any way – then it would not cover losses.

The Guardian stated “Clear rules state banks can only refuse to refund a customer if they acted "fraudulently" or had been "grossly negligent". There is growing evidence that the banks are taking a tougher line and refusing a refund – in some cases for the sole reason the thief used the card with a merchant the account holder had also done business with.”

I don’t know how far this has progressed in Australia but a quick search seems to indicate the Guardian is correct.

This also raises the issue of mobile device payments – currently Apple Pay and Samsung pay.

According to Newsweek US Apple Pay has become the target for fraudsters since its launch. Because Apple Pay lets users store credit card information on their smartphone – despite its robust security features – fraudsters apparently discovered that it is fairly easy to upload stolen credit cards to Apple Pay. Apple insists on a "frictionless" user experience and requires little in the way of verifying users are who they say they are.

Cherian Abraham, a mobile-banking consultant who advises an Android-based competitor to Apple called SimplyTapp, wrote in a blog post (worth a read) that as much as 6 percent of Apple Pay transactions may be fraudulent. That’s significantly higher than credit card transactions, which have an average fraud rate of 1 percent, according to Abraham.

I am sure that Apple and its banks are doing everything they can to minimise fraud. Currently in Australia only American Express has partnered with Apple.

Oberthur Technologies (OT), a leading global provider of embedded security software products, services and solutions, has announced its support for the international go-to-market of Android Pay with its first launch in Australia scheduled for the first half of 2016.

Android Pay will allow end-users to make contactless payments with all NFC-enabled Android devices (running KitKat 4.4+). With its Digital Enablement Platform, OT will support Financial Institutions in offering their customers this new service by enrolling their payment cards into Android Pay.

OT’s Digital Enablement Platform is a comprehensive solution which supports enrolment, mobile provisioning and token lifecycle management in digital wallets, irrespective of the underlying technologies and related security, either hardware or software-based secure elements.

Together, OT and Android Pay will offer Financial Institutions a one-stop-shop platform to enable and operate the service.

{loadposition ray}

"Mobile payments is a big priority for Google and we're working to support a wide range of issuers to make Android Pay available to everyone," says Pali Bhat, Senior Director, Product Management, Google, "OT's integration takes us one step further in this direction".

“We are very proud to work with Google on the deployment of Android Pay, in particular in Australia which is one of the most advanced contactless markets and therefore of strategic importance for OT’s digital payments activities. We are convinced that our technology assets and international experience in the field of digital security and mobile issuance will help accelerate the availability of Android Pay to end-users,” said Marek Juda, Managing Director of OT’s Connected Device Makers business.

Comment

Mobile payments are the next big thing. Over 80% of Australian’s use Android so it will succeed by volume alone.

As iTWire reported today, Catch-of-the-Day has enabled Apple Pay on its iOS app but the Catch-22-of-the-Day is that it only works using Amex at a very limited number of outlets. Apple has apparently asked for too high a cut of the interchange fees – Amex can afford to do so, but Visa, MasterCard, EFTPOS, PayPal, and other payment methods cannot meet its demands.

Google’s Android Pay is apparently not nearly as demanding and is expected to launch with most major banks (rumoured to be CBA, Westpac, ANZ and all their subsidiaries). Its functionality supports both debit and credit Visa and MasterCard, EFTPOS, and it will also support Amex and Diners Club. It also can store store gift cards, loyalty cards, and special offers on the phone. If the device has a fingerprint or other biometric identification it may not require a PIN.

In Australia, almost 70% of credit card transactions are now tap and go. This means merchants can accept Android Pay immediately.

Android Pay will become one of many mobile payment options with most banks also working on mobile payment solutions. Most are launching new app updates to allow their customers to pay direct from their phone using tap-and-pay or to withdraw money from an ATM without a card, using just their mobile.

What you may not know is that a percentage of each transaction – generally called a merchant fee and an Interchange fee – pays for the cost of using a payment system and for credit card loyalty programs.

Samsung introduced its contactless payment capability to Australia in 2013 when it partnered with some of Australia’s major financial institutions to provide Samsung Galaxy smartphone users (S6 and Note 5 or later with fingerprint authentication) the opportunity to use their mobile device to make purchases at compatible point of sale terminals.

Samsung Pay – coming to Australia this year - is the next evolution in Samsung’s mobile payment system designed to act as complete wallet replacement for users. It will offer Australians a simple, safe way to shop and spend almost anywhere, on existing point-of-sale (POS) terminals. Importantly it does not charge interchange fees to partners so it will be widely accepted.

It has provided a Q&A explaining the technology.

• Samsung Pay can support financial and tokenised transactions through Near Field Communication (NFC) and Magnetic Strip Transmission (MST) technology.
• NFC and MST transaction functionality form the basis for how the majority of payment and tokenized transactions are processed by financial institutions and retailers around the world and in Australia.
• Samsung Pay will have the capability to support online payments in applications and web.
• Samsung’s proprietary mobile payment technology which controls the transfer of transactions and information (via MST) can send secure, encrypted card information to a magnetic card reader.
• Samsung Pay can support limited transactions without internet connectivity in offline mode.

{loadposition ray}

Samsung Pay has an open engagement model designed to operate with a wide range of partner’s systems and payment channels.

• This model is designed to support cards (payment and non-payment) from multiple providers within a single digital wallet, for the convenience of users.
• The engagement model has also been designed to provide an easy experience for partner organisations to operate with.
• Samsung Pay does not charge transaction interchange fees to partners.

Samsung Pay has the ability to offer users a “total wallet replacement” through support of a variety of card types including:

• Payment solutions: Support in-store payment and online / in app payments, with the goal of being an alternative to physical bank cards and credit cards.
• Services solutions: If the MST component is adopted in Australia, support partner services currently provided in physical form often in the form of magnetic strip cards. Service solutions may include gift cards, loyalty cards, transit, and membership identification.
• Samsung Pay has the potential to be leveraged by an array of partners, ranging from major retailers to government departments and financial institutions.

Samsung Pay has a simple, three step process for making payments in-store:

• Swipe up: Users can swipe up from the home button to access a desired service. Or, select the Samsung Pay app icon from their home screen or app tray.
• Scan: Users can authorise transactions by scanning their fingerprint or entering their PIN.
• Pay: To finalise the transaction, users then hold their phone over the card reader.

 Samsung Pay takes advantage of Samsung’s most advanced mobile security features, including:

• EMV Tokenisation: Samsung Pay is based on the global EMVCo5 standard for mobile transactions. This standard uses a temporary digital token to replace card information. Using a digital token helps keep people’s personal and card information secure.
• Samsung KNOX: In the event that a phone is lost Samsung’s built-in KNOX technology helps a user’s card and payment information stay secure and safe.
• Remote Deactivation: If a phone is lost the user can also deactivate Samsung Pay remotely using Samsung’s Find My Mobile service.
• Fingerprint Authorisation: Samsung’s advanced fingerprint technology helps safeguard purchases with a quick touch of the finger from the approved user.

Samsung Pay in other markets

• Samsung Pay is already available in the U.S and South Korea and in addition to Australia will be launched in China, Spain and the U.K in 2016.
• In South Korea, Samsung Pay launched in August 2015 and in its first month recorded 1.5 million total transactions, accumulating $USD 30 million in transaction value.
• In 2015, more than 10 million transactions were performed on Samsung Pay in Korea with a value of more than US$211 million (250 billion KRW).
• In December 2015, Samsung Pay welcomed a transportation card service for South Korean users. This brings together the local T-Money and Cashbee transportation payment methods into one easy-to-use mobile service.
• Samsung Pay was introduced to the US in September 2015 and has experienced a tremendous response in that market. It is now the most accepted mobile payment system in the US. Samsung is now working with the four payment networks: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa, major banks including American Express, Bank of America, Chase, Citi, PNC, U.S. Bank and all of US carriers to extend Samsung Pay to the U.S.
• In December 2015, Samsung announced that in the U.S market Samsung Pay supports popular gift cards for over 50 merchants in the U.S. including, Toys“R”Us, Domino’s, Nike and eBay.

You can read more at Samsung’s US website.

According to the new rreport from Juniper Research - Contactless Payments: NFC Handsets, Wearables & Payment Cards 2016-2020 - the industry has already received a strong stimulus from the launch of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay in selected key markets.

It cited the case of the recent arrival of Apple Pay in China, where nearly 40 million payment cards were registered to the service in 24 hours in mid-February.

Furthermore, the research argued that with nearly 1 in 5 POS (Point of Sale) terminals in the US now contactless-capable, the infrastructure is in place for that market to experience traction.

It anticipated that NFC smartphones would be the primary initial driver of contactless payments in the US, given the limited number of cards that currently offer the facility.
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The research also anticipated that models based on HCE (Host Card Emulation) would be widely deployed by banks and a number of leading OTT (Over The Top) players. It noted that HCE – where credentials and other sensitive data are stored in the cloud – had already been deployed by over 50 financial institutions, including Barclays Bank in the UK.

According to research co-author Dr Windsor Holden, “The combination of HCE and tokenisation is extremely attractive to banks. HCE means that they are not dependent on a mobile operator to enable the service; tokenisation reduces the burden on the issuer and allows them to use their existing infrastructure.”

However, the research was less optimistic about the prospects for solutions based around NFC stickers, arguing that phones using prepaid top-up contactless wallets without a secure element represented a significant security risk.

It pointed out that even where closed-loop solutions were employed, thieves could simply spend the wallet’s balance at participating retail outlets.

The whitepaper, ‘NFC-No Contact Required’, is now available to download from the Juniper website if you’re prepared to register.

If you’re a Amex or Citibank customer, or want to become one, you can now use those institutions’ cards with compatible Samsung smartphones and its new mobile payments system.

That system is called Samsung Pay, and is clearly being billed as offering Australia consumers and businesses "a secure, fast, and simple way to pay" – while sounding very similar to the name a different fruit-flavoured phone company has called its payments system. 

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Samsung Pay works "almost anywhere" using a participating credit or debit card from the aforementioned institutions and presumably all the banks and organisations that follow, including for loyalty cards.

The "almost anywhere" claim has the caveat that "availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades".

Samsung also advises that "Samsung Pay will be available soon for Galaxy S6 and S6 edge on the Telstra network", with the service "exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants".

Those standard caveats aside, "Samsung Pay will be available starting today on compatible Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, with specific availability varying by local operator".’

Prasad Gokhale, vice-president, mobile division, Samsung Australia, said: “Today’s launch of Samsung Pay offers more than a secure and convenient way for Samsung smartphone owners to pay. It’s the next development for Australians who use their smartphone as the central device to live, organise and enjoy their lives.

“Australia is a market of early technology adopters and by providing a platform open to all partners, ranging from government to financial institutions and retailers, while upholding the highest standards of security and data privacy, Samsung is fuelling the transition to a truly digital wallet,” continued Gokhale.

Here is the full launch video from today’s event – the rest of the article continues below, please read on:

Samsung proudly boasts that the arrival of Samsung Pay in Australia "follows successful launches in South Korea, the United States, China and Spain".

Elle Kim, global vice-president, Samsung Pay, Mobile Communications Business, said: “In the first six months of launching in (South) Korea and the US, Samsung Pay has surpassed more than five million registered users and today has processed more than US$1billion of transactions in South Korea alone.

“This success indicates a tremendous opportunity in Australia, a market where contactless payments are already in strong demand.”

'Strong partnerships' to benefit consumers and businesses

At the launch, Samsung Pay partners in Australia will be American Express and Citibank.

Citibank credit card cardholders as well as American Express Issued Card Members will be able to use Samsung Pay, with a compatible Samsung smartphone, at participating retailers.

Vice-president payment consulting group, American Express JAPA, Nick Alexander, said: “Samsung Pay provides our American Express Issued Card Members another way to pay using the latest in smartphone payment technology, and speeds up the payment process for merchants.

“American Express is not only striving to be where our customers are, but also looking for more ways to integrate rewards and loyalty into the payment experience, so that when our customers use their phones to pay, they are earning rewards as well.”

Amex advises that "the addition of Samsung Pay to the American Express digital payment portfolio means that about 90% of its card members who already use their smartphones with us can now make mobile payments".

Amex also has an "exclusive launch offer", which is that "American Express card members who use Samsung Pay three times on any purchase over $5 will receive a one-off $15 statement credit, available until 14 September".

In addition, Amex states "card members are not the only beneficiaries, with thousands of store-based merchants Australia-wide adding Samsung Pay to their variety of payment options for customers."

Article continues below, with another video at the end of this article showing the system in operation, please read on:

Citi Global Consumer Bank, Australia, managing director of cards and consumer lending, Alan Machet said: “The strong partnership between Citibank and Samsung Pay will see both parties collaborate to bring services to our globally-minded customers.

“Citi credit card customers can now simply and securely use Samsung mobile phones to tap and pay for purchases in Australia and overseas.”

Samsung’s Elle Kim added that: “Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for our customers.

“Samsung Pay adopts an open engagement model, designed to support payment and non-payment cards from multiple providers. By doing this, Samsung can operate seamlessly with a wide range of partners, systems and payment channels,” Kim added.

More than money

Outside payments, Samsung says its pay service "has the potential to be integrated with an array of partners, ranging from major retailers to government departments and ticketing companies".

Partner integration is even simpler with Samsung Pay because the technology utilises Near Field Communication (NFC) and Samsung’s proprietary technology called Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), making it the only payment solution with wider acceptance – which means it works with older payment terminals, which are common in countries like the US where wireless NFC tap-and-go systems are still only slowly being rolled out.

Kim added: “The MST technology enables Samsung Pay to support partners that use a traditional magnetic stripe, commonly found on loyalty cards, gift cards and transit cards, both in Australia and across the globe.

“It’s our goal to one day replace wallets, by making every card accessible on Samsung smartphones. In countries like Australia, where customers are already using their smartphones to make payments, our customers will certainly value the benefits of having all their cards in one place and Samsung Pay will provide that convenience to them,” Kim concluded.

Safe and secure

Samsung Pay includes three levels of security to help enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenisation and Samsung KNOX.

Each transaction uses an encrypted digital token to replace a user’s personal payment information and payments can only be authorised with an approved fingerprint or PIN. Samsung’s industry-leading KNOX security platform also monitors malicious software and activities on a user’s device for added security and protection.

Easy-to-use application

To make a payment on Samsung Pay, simply swipe up, choose the desired payment card, authenticate the transaction with the fingerprint sensor and tap the device on the point of sale terminal.

Samsung Pay can be used in an offline mode, should customers be located in areas without Internet connectivity.

Here’s a video that shows how easily the system works, which I recorded live today at the Australian Samsung Pay launch, showing both NFC and MST scenarios. 

The bank said more than half a million customers would benefit from this. ANZ introduced the use of Android Pay in July for holders of its other credit cards.

This makes it the only one of the big four banks to offer both Apple Pay and Android Pay.

The other three big banks — Westpac, NAB and Commonwealth — along with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, have attempted to negotiate as a group with Apple, Google and Samsung for the use of Apple Pay but their move has not met with the approval of the ACCC.

{loadposition sam08}Android Pay uses host card emulation, meaning that a new code is generated to replace the 16 digits on a credit card in order to keep the card number secret.

While both services use tokenisation, Apple Pay generates tokens in a chip called the Secure Element. Android Pay generates tokens in the cloud and if an Internet connection is not available, the app will use one of a limited number of tokens stored on the device.

Last year, a study from Cambridge University found that 87% of Android devices are insecure. Google issues monthly security updates for Android but for the most part OEMs do not bother to package them and issue them to users. Thus only Google's own Nexus devices, generally the higher-priced ones, receive regular security updates.

Android can only be updated as one big firmware blob.

Richard Fink, head of IT and Mobile Division at Samsung Australia, says, “The ability to make payments from the Gear S2 and S3 watches using Samsung Pay gives Australians yet another layer of convenience when shopping and allow them to make payments quickly and easily.”

“For the first time, Australians will be able to use Samsung Pay to tap their Gear wristwatch and purchase their Christmas gifts, pay for their coffee while on the run, or pay for their taxi ride, all without the need to carry a wallet or smartphone. We have already seen an incredible uptake of Gear wearables in Australia, as well as Samsung Pay for Galaxy smartphones, which makes this an exciting and compelling solution for customers.”

The credit card providers that are covered, initially, include Australian-issued American Express cards and Citi (Visa) credit cards.

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Samsung Pay supports two types of contactless payments: NFC (Near Field Communications) and the later MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission). The Gear S2, Galaxy S6/Edge have NFC only and the Gear S3, Galaxy S6 Edge+ and GS7/Edge and Note 5 have MST as well.

The Gear must be paired to a compatible Galaxy device and then the Gear S2 and S3 can be used as standalone payment devices with a PIN. One can also pay using the smartphone as a contactless device with Fingerprint authentication.

Almost any loyalty card can be digitally stored as well.

At present, Samsung Pay can be used in Australia, South Korea, United States, China, Spain, and Singapore.

The credit or debit card number is not saved on the device, rather just a token and a cryptogram that is only valid for that payment are transmitted to the card reader.

Samsung is negotiating to extend the credit/debit card and financial institution coverage.

As a bonus, users with fingerprint authentication-enabled Samsung devices will be able to click the Visa Checkout/Samsung Pay co-branded button and touch the fingerprint sensor and the payment will proceed instantly.

Injong Rhee, chief technology officer of the Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “We are very excited to be working with Visa to offer simple, fast and secure checkout experiences to millions of Samsung Pay users on their mobile devices or desktop. Our partnership benefits not only Samsung Pay users but also hundreds of thousands of online merchants who are looking for effective ways to increase their checkout conversion rates.”

Jim McCarthy, executive vice-president, innovation and strategic partnerships, Visa, said, “The days of filling out long forms or remembering usernames to make online purchases are continuing to wind down, as options like Visa Checkout’s open platform become accessible on hundreds of thousands of merchant sites and companies like Samsung see the value in simplifying the process for both consumers and merchants.” 

{loadposition ray}Samsung Pay has had a slower adoption in Australia, being limited to American Express cards and Citibank. Samsung has signed up more than 650 banks and credit institutions in the US and also added Visa and MasterCard. Much of that work will flow on to Australia.

It is adding an enhanced wallet, more personal offers, and an expanded rewards point/loyalty system to the app. All transactions are given the same fraud protection as credit card/bank providers offer.

Samsung Pay runs on Galaxy S6 or later and Gear S2 and Gear S3 smartwatches. Every transaction is multifactor authenticated – it can use fingerprint, pin or iris scan, depending on the model. It can be used on- or off-line as it uses tokenisation – the real credit card number is never used. Samsung Knox keeps the card and wallet contents secured in a separate encrypted vault.

Joe Kleinwaechter, vice-president of Innovation and Design at Worldpay US, told iTWire in response to queries following the launch of Amazon Cash this month, that to compare the service against Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Android Pay was "an apple to oranges comparison".

Amazon Cash is aimed squarely at those who want digital cash for transactions but have no means of topping up online.

Kleinwaechter said: "The xPay cadre is based on credit or ACH systems, which require the consumer to have a bank account or credit card. Amazon Cash appears to target unbanked and underbanked consumers to convert them to Amazon customers.

{loadposition sam08}"They know they have a market, as these consumers are already buying Amazon gift cards with cash and taking them home to redeem them on their Amazon accounts.

"There really is no risk if the expectation is to replace that mechanism. But, what remains to be seen is whether they can attract any additional market share by streamlining this process."

Asked if Amazon was too late to the market and whether a half-and-half service was going to make the cut, Kleinwaechter responded: "Not at all. I think Amazon is going after a fixed job-to-be-done – provide purchasing power to cash only customers. Currently, 7% of consumers are unbanked and an additional 20% are underbanked. That’s a big opportunity, if you have the right solution."

Given that the US is now pushing for digital payments - as underlined by its being behind the moves in India to lessen cash transactions - Kleinwaechter was asked if it was in any way peculiar that Amazon was seemingly encouraging people to keep using cash.

He disagreed with this conclusion. "I don’t think Amazon’s encouraging the use of cash, it's simply responding to a market need. Consumers are unbanked and underbanked for a reason. They often don’t have access to or choose not to have access to traditional credit systems and are challenged by paying in ways banked customers do.

"Traditionally banks have ignored this population, as they weren’t candidates for the margin-rich service upsells that make customer acquisition costs worthwhile. Amazon Cash is a valuable service, but whether it will be a good source of profit or a loss leader for future offerings remains to be seen."

Samsung Pay is a mobile payments service available on compatible Samsung devices including the Gear S3 smartwatch, and Galaxy A5/7, S6/S7/Edge, Galaxy Note 5 and the soon-to-be-released Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones.

The partnership with Westpac adds to Samsung’s existing partnerships with Citibank for MasterCard and Visa credit card holders, as well as American Express, issued credit cards.

Richard Fink, vice-president, Mobile Division at Samsung Australia, said, “We know Australians use their smartphones every day to enjoy content, stay connected and organise their lives. Partnering with Westpac will bring the security and convenience of Samsung Pay to millions of Australians.”

{loadposition ray}George Frazis, chief executive Consumer Bank at Westpac Group, said, “Our mobile customers want access to the best technology so we are delighted to add Samsung Pay, one of the world’s most popular mobile payment platforms, to our range of mobile payment options.”

Samsung Pay helps to replace physical wallets with Galaxy class smartphones and uses Samsung Knox security, and a mixture of biometrics, fingerprint or iris scans to secure transactions. it uses EMV Tokenisation – a temporary digital token to replace card information. Using a digital token helps keep people’s personal and card information secure.

Samsung iris scan will feature as an authentication method for Samsung Pay on the new Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones. It will also support limited transactions without internet connectivity in an offline mode.

Samsung use both Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and NFC technology and it now supports entry of payment and loyalty card details into Samsung Pay seamlessly by simply tapping a card onto the back of the Galaxy device.

Samsung Pay is also available in South Korea, US, China, Spain, Singapore, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia and India. Select users in Sweden, Canada and the UAE can also experience its early access programme following preliminary launches in those countries. It has already partnered with more than 870 banks worldwide.

The company estimated that the total of OEM-Pay contactless users would reach 100 million in the first half of 2017. This includes users of Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay.

This figure would then climb to more than 150 million by the end of the year.

In a research study entitled Contactless Payments: NFC Handsets, Wearables & Payment Cards 2017-2021, Juniper said that the combined market share of these three payment systems had reached 41% of the total OEM-Pay contactless users in 2016, from 15% in 2015.

{loadposition sam08}And this percentage of market share would rise to 56% by 2012, the company said.

Figures are in millions. Graphic courtesy Juniper Research.

The study found that Apple Pay and alternative wallets were set to be established as the primary contactless mechanisms of choice in the US.

"However, the challenge facing Apple and its rivals is to ensure that the infrastructure is in place for consumers to make in-store payments," a statement said.

“We believe that as contactless usage gains traction and consumers/merchants recognise the speed and convenience it offers, then, as in European markets, there will be a further and significant increase in availability at the point-of-sale," said research author Nitin Bhas.

According to Apple, the proportion of US retailers supporting Apple Pay rose from 4% in 2014 to 35% in late 2016.

The Juniper study found that 2015 and 2016 were watershed years for host card emulation in terms of commercial service rollouts.

The company estimated that 194 banks had introduced such services by the end of 2016, adding that it expected PayPal to deploy contactless payment and loyalty solutions to to compete for market share.

What you may not know is that a percentage of each transaction – generally called a merchant fee and an Interchange fee – pays for the cost of using a payment system and for credit card loyalty programs.

Samsung introduced its contactless payment capability to Australia in 2013 when it partnered with some of Australia’s major financial institutions to provide Samsung Galaxy smartphone users (S6 and Note 5 or later with fingerprint authentication) the opportunity to use their mobile device to make purchases at compatible point of sale terminals.

Samsung Pay – coming to Australia this year - is the next evolution in Samsung’s mobile payment system designed to act as complete wallet replacement for users. It will offer Australians a simple, safe way to shop and spend almost anywhere, on existing point-of-sale (POS) terminals. Importantly it does not charge interchange fees to partners so it will be widely accepted.

It has provided a Q&A explaining the technology.

• Samsung Pay can support financial and tokenised transactions through Near Field Communication (NFC) and Magnetic Strip Transmission (MST) technology.
• NFC and MST transaction functionality form the basis for how the majority of payment and tokenized transactions are processed by financial institutions and retailers around the world and in Australia.
• Samsung Pay will have the capability to support online payments in applications and web.
• Samsung’s proprietary mobile payment technology which controls the transfer of transactions and information (via MST) can send secure, encrypted card information to a magnetic card reader.
• Samsung Pay can support limited transactions without internet connectivity in offline mode.

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Samsung Pay has an open engagement model designed to operate with a wide range of partner’s systems and payment channels.

• This model is designed to support cards (payment and non-payment) from multiple providers within a single digital wallet, for the convenience of users.
• The engagement model has also been designed to provide an easy experience for partner organisations to operate with.
• Samsung Pay does not charge transaction interchange fees to partners.

Samsung Pay has the ability to offer users a “total wallet replacement” through support of a variety of card types including:

• Payment solutions: Support in-store payment and online / in app payments, with the goal of being an alternative to physical bank cards and credit cards.
• Services solutions: If the MST component is adopted in Australia, support partner services currently provided in physical form often in the form of magnetic strip cards. Service solutions may include gift cards, loyalty cards, transit, and membership identification.
• Samsung Pay has the potential to be leveraged by an array of partners, ranging from major retailers to government departments and financial institutions.

Samsung Pay has a simple, three step process for making payments in-store:

• Swipe up: Users can swipe up from the home button to access a desired service. Or, select the Samsung Pay app icon from their home screen or app tray.
• Scan: Users can authorise transactions by scanning their fingerprint or entering their PIN.
• Pay: To finalise the transaction, users then hold their phone over the card reader.

 Samsung Pay takes advantage of Samsung’s most advanced mobile security features, including:

• EMV Tokenisation: Samsung Pay is based on the global EMVCo5 standard for mobile transactions. This standard uses a temporary digital token to replace card information. Using a digital token helps keep people’s personal and card information secure.
• Samsung KNOX: In the event that a phone is lost Samsung’s built-in KNOX technology helps a user’s card and payment information stay secure and safe.
• Remote Deactivation: If a phone is lost the user can also deactivate Samsung Pay remotely using Samsung’s Find My Mobile service.
• Fingerprint Authorisation: Samsung’s advanced fingerprint technology helps safeguard purchases with a quick touch of the finger from the approved user.

Samsung Pay in other markets

• Samsung Pay is already available in the U.S and South Korea and in addition to Australia will be launched in China, Spain and the U.K in 2016.
• In South Korea, Samsung Pay launched in August 2015 and in its first month recorded 1.5 million total transactions, accumulating $USD 30 million in transaction value.
• In 2015, more than 10 million transactions were performed on Samsung Pay in Korea with a value of more than US$211 million (250 billion KRW).
• In December 2015, Samsung Pay welcomed a transportation card service for South Korean users. This brings together the local T-Money and Cashbee transportation payment methods into one easy-to-use mobile service.
• Samsung Pay was introduced to the US in September 2015 and has experienced a tremendous response in that market. It is now the most accepted mobile payment system in the US. Samsung is now working with the four payment networks: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa, major banks including American Express, Bank of America, Chase, Citi, PNC, U.S. Bank and all of US carriers to extend Samsung Pay to the U.S.
• In December 2015, Samsung announced that in the U.S market Samsung Pay supports popular gift cards for over 50 merchants in the U.S. including, Toys“R”Us, Domino’s, Nike and eBay.

You can read more at Samsung’s US website.