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.

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. 

{loadposition alex08}

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.

{loadposition ray}

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 globally 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 worldwide 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.

According to newly published research from Juniper, while Apple Pay had provided the catalyst for initial growth, other leading wallets including Android Pay and Samsung Pay were increasingly offering biometric solutions for authentication.

And, according to Juniper, the size of the market opportunity has been boosted by the greater availability of fingerprint sensors.

Around 60% of smartphone models are expected to ship with the sensors this year, with many Chinese vendors incorporating them into mid-range models.

{loadposition peter}The research emphasised the increasing momentum behind alternative biometric solutions and recognised Mastercard as an early leader in the market through its Identity Check Mobile capability, due to go live later this year.

Informally known as “selfie pay”, the Mastercard solution allows users to scan their fingerprints and/or take selfies to validate their identities and thereby make payments.

Juniper also says it expects to see strong adoption of the authentication app recently unveiled by India’s identification authority, through which merchants can verify a customer’s ID via either fingerprint or iris scan.

And Juniper says that since the biometric data is linked to a bank account, the process acts as both authentication and transaction enabler.

On the issue of convenience versus security, the research argued that the key challenge for service providers would be striking the right balance between end-user convenience and solution security.

Research author Dr Windsor Holden says that, “typically, the more secure the solution, the more time-consuming the authentication process”.

“It is essential to offer a range of verification options allowing clients to determine what level of security is required for a given authentication,” Dr Holden concludes.

To access Juniper’s complimentary whitepaper – Mobile Biometrics-thumbs Up? – and to read the full research report click here.

That equates to around 10 million users and the deal is with Cuscal, a payments solution provider that provides pre-paid, credit and debit cards and is part of Australia’s New Payments Platform.

Samsung Pay has trailed Apple Pay, but this latest deal brings it to parity, with payments from more than 40 institutions including Credit Union Australia and Australian Unity.

Samsung is in negotiations with many major finance institutions after demonstrating that the demand is there from its users. It previously only supported cards issued by Westpac, Citibank, and American Express.

Samsung Australia mobile division vice-president Richard Fink said, “Through Samsung Pay’s partnership with Cuscal we are providing millions of Australians a convenient and safe payment option. Every partner we bring onboard, whether it be a financial institution or retail brand through our Samsung Pay loyalty functionality, brings us a step closer to helping customers replace their wallets with their Samsung smartphone or smartwatch.”

{loadposition ray}Robert Bell, general manager of Product & Service at Cuscal, said: “We’re really pleased that our clients’ customers can now use Samsung Pay. Our aim is to allow all of our clients to offer their customers the newest and best payment options available, to help them compete with much larger players. With the addition of Samsung Pay we continue to fulfil this promise to them.”

Cuscal’s 38 financial institutions now available on Samsung Pay are:

Australian Unity, Bank Australia, Bank of Sydney, Beyond Bank Australia, Big Sky Building Society, Catalyst Money, Central Coast Credit Union, Central Murray Credit Union, Community First Credit Union, Credit Union SA, CUA, Customs Bank, Defence Bank, Firefighters Mutual Bank, First Option Credit Union, Holiday Coast Credit Union, Horizon Credit Union, Illawarra Credit Union, Intech Bank, MyState, Nexus Mutual, Northern Beaches Credit Union, P&N Bank, People's Choice Credit Union, Police Bank, QT Mutual Bank, Queenslanders Credit Union, Reliance Bank, SCU, Select ENCOMPASS Credit Union, South West Slopes Credit Union, Teachers Mutual Bank, The Mac, The Rock, UniBank, Unity Bank, WAW Credit Union Co-Operative, Woolworths Employees' Credit Union Limited

Smartphone payment systems are not just for the convenience of users – the device makers like Apple, Samsung, and Google Wallet/Android Pay make a commission from all transactions – just as the issuing financial institution and various payment gateways do from swipe to debit to your account.

The quite achiever in Australia so far has been Android Pay that has secured ANZ, ING Direct, American Express, Macquarie, Bendigo and Beyond Bank and is heavily pushing its new Android Pay/Google Wallet API on to developers to implement easy payment from NFC and fingerprint-enabled smartphones – including Samsung’s Galaxy series.

Google’s strength here is in its vast data lake of customer information and the ability for developers to target complementary advertising to its users. It also has more vendors like Catch of the Day, Deliveroo, EatNow etc supporting the payment system.

All three will support their respective “watches” and store details of loyalty cards. However, only Samsung supports the MST (Magnetic Strip) payment system for older swipe machines. Initial feedback from all is that the main use is for “convenient” purchases like coffee or lunch.

Samsung Pay is available on compatible Samsung devices including the Gear S3 smartwatch and the Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones.

The bank said in a statement that the addition of Samsung Pay helped it to retain its position as an early adopter of payment technology.

“MyState was one of the first banks to offer customers Apple Pay and Android Pay in the second half of 2016 as part of its ongoing banking technology transformation," said Chris Thornton, MyState general manager Product and Marketing.

{loadposition sam08}"The introduction of Samsung Pay is another significant milestone in MyState's strategy to use the latest online and digital technology to provide customers with an exceptional experience.

“Offering Samsung Pay means MyState customers with Samsung devices don’t have to carry their wallets or cash to make a purchase. Customers can buy what they want when they want through the convenience of their mobile device.”

Additional information is available here.

Samsung Pay is a convenient payment solution for users of Samsung Galaxy A5/7, Note 5, Galaxy S6/7/8 variants and Gear S2/3 smart watches.

Richard Fink, vice-president, IT & Mobile Division at Samsung Electronics Australia, said: “ANZ and Samsung share goals of developing incredible experiences for our customers through collaboration and innovation with a mutual effort to advance digital payments for the benefit of Australians. We believe the convenience, security and choice that Samsung Pay offers is helping to transform the way Australians undertake everyday tasks when transacting.”

“ANZ customers can now benefit from Samsung Pay’s unique features, such as our three-layered security system, and can enjoy using the service anywhere you can pay with a contactless credit or debit card,” he added.

{loadposition ray}ANZ managing director Product, Bob Belan said, “We are pleased to be delivering another innovative mobile wallet solution specifically for Samsung devices – something that ANZ customers have told us is relevant and important to them. Samsung has strong device market share in Australia and many of our customers love its open approach to technology, so it made sense for us to work with them in bringing this convenient and secure mobile payments solution to our customers.”

“At ANZ, we believe our customers are best placed to make their own choices about which digital wallet works best for them. From today, our customers can now choose to make purchases using their compatible Samsung device and eligible ANZ Visa debit or credit cards.”

Samsung Pay has been gaining widespread support,  with major banks including ANZ, Westpac and Citi and American Express credit cards. In addition, 35 smaller banks and credit unions support it.

All eligible devices support Near Field Communications (Paywave) and Galaxy A5/A7, S7/8 and Gear S3 support Magnetic Secure Transmission (swipe) and MoBeam.

The wallet function can also load more than 100 different types of loyalty cards.

Samsung Pay does not store unencrypted credit card details on the device – it uses a one-off token and cryptogram system for each purchase via the Samsung pay app. Each purchase is authenticated by fingerprint, pin or iris scan.

Bendigo Bank was infamously part of the banking cartel trying to force Apple to change its payment ways, but the long wait for Samsung owners to play with Samsung Pay is finally over.

Samsung has announced that its “contactless mobile payments service, Samsung Pay, is now accessible for Bendigo Bank customers who have an eligible debit or credit card".

Naturally, Samsung bills Samsung Pay as a “secure and easy-to-use mobile payments service available on compatible Samsung devices, including the Gear S3 smartwatch and the recently released Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones".

{loadposition alex08}The full list of compatible devices is as follows: "Samsung Pay is available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, A5, A7, S7, S7 edge, S8 and S8+. Compatible wearable devices include the Gear S2 and Gear S3 smartwatches. Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge do not support the MST functionality of Samsung Pay."

MST is the "magnetic stripe" function of Samsung Pay that allows you to simulate the old-fashioned swiping of your card in a payment terminal that doesn't support the paywave/tap and go system, with some of those types of terminals still in Australia and presumably still plenty in the US, but as long as your Samsung smarphone is newer than the S6 ot S6 Edge, it looks like you'll be fine. 

Also, while the Note 8 has not yet been “officially released” in Australia, its arrival in retail stores has been publicised to be 22 September, and you’d have to imagine that if the S8 and S8+ are fully Samsung Pay compatible, so too will be the Note8.

Why we have to pretend the Note 8 doesn’t exist yet in the list of compatible devices even though there was a giant presentation in New York streamed to everyone wanting to watch planet-wide is one of the little mysteries of life that for which probably even a very large payment via a Samsung Pay transaction presumably can’t elicit an answer.

In any case, Mark Hodgson, head of Products and Services at Samsung Electronics Australia, said: “We are pleased to offer Bendigo Bank’s 1.6 million customers across Australia more choice when it comes to payments.

“Whether purchasing a coffee on-the-go or earning and redeeming loyalty points from their favourite retailer, Bendigo Bank customers can now enjoy a safe, secure and convenient service all at the click of button.”

Bendigo Bank’s chief customer officer Marnie Baker noted the app offered customers greater choice and flexibility in how they make payments.

Baker said: “Our customers will be able to use Samsung Pay wherever contactless payments are accepted, meaning even more convenience in their everyday life.

"With technology evolving at a rapid pace we want to ensure we're delivering, and partnering with other innovative organisations like Samsung to give our customers greater choice and the flexibility they’re looking for."

With the addition of Bendigo Bank, Samsung proudly boasts that “Samsung Pay has now paired with over 40 payment card brands and has over 100 different types of loyalty cards loaded onto Samsung Pay – helping to make everyday payments and loyalty point collections simple and secure. Other Samsung Pay partners include AMEX, Citibank, Westpac, Cuscal and ANZ.”

Bendigo Bank’s Samsung Pay page is here. 

More information from Samsung about Samsung Pay is here. 

Brush Rush, Suncorp's executive general manager for Deposits and Investments, has overseen the timely introduction of Samsung Pay for some of his customers, stating this move was "the first step in Suncorp’s plan to enhance its digital payment offering".

Rush said: “As we move to an increasingly cashless society, we know that our customers need more efficient and sophisticated technology, including digital wallets.

“From 27 September, all customers with a Suncorp Clear Options Credit Card, and compatible Samsung device, will have the option to use Samsung Pay.

“We will continue to invest in our payment technologies and are committed to delivering new services that our customers want and need.”

{loadposition alex08}Fighting against Apple Pay, Google Pay, Fitbit Pay and other mobile payment systems for supremacy, Samsung has been enjoying success with its recent Bendigo Bank Samsung Pay announcement in early September.

As Samsung states, its Samsung Pay system is "a secure and easy-to-use mobile payments service available on compatible Samsung devices, including the recently released Galaxy Note8".

Mark Hodgson, head of Mobile Payments at Samsung Electronics Australia, said: “Suncorp and Samsung are committed to improving customer experience through innovation. With Samsung Pay, Australians are provided with the convenience, security and choice to undertake everyday tasks when transacting.

“In addition, Suncorp Clear Options Credit Card cardholders can now benefit from Samsung Pay’s unique features, such as our three-layered security system, and can enjoy using the service anywhere you can pay with a contactless credit or debit card.”

Access to Samsung Pay only applies to Suncorp Clear Options Credit Card cardholders and does not include Suncorp debit cards. Perhaps Suncorp will shine on its debit card customers at some point, too.

Samsung Pay is also in use at Westpac, 38 other banks and credit unions in June while the initial launch of Samsung Pay into Australia on 15 June 2016 can be seen here, complete with video.

Suncorp has a page entitled "Samsung Pay Set up" which appears to have been set up in preparation for this announcement, but while there's nothing there yet, it's sure to be set up soon.

For more info on compatible devices and how to install and access Samsung Pay, Samsung has more info here. 

Samsung Electronics Australia and Latitude Financial Services have done a deal to make Samsung's contactless mobile payments service, Samsung Pay, accessible to all those Mastercard-carrying Latitude Financial customers. 

As Samsung reminds us, its Samsung Pay service "is a secure and easy-to-use mobile payments service available on compatible Samsung devices, including the recently released Galaxy Note8 smartphone".

Mark Hodgson, head of Products and Services, Samsung Electronics Australia, said: “Samsung is proud to partner with Latitude Financial Services, a new leading name in the consumer finance market in Australia. With access to Samsung Pay, Latitude Financial Services’ customers with a Mastercard will benefit from even more choice when banking and purchasing.”

{loadposition alex08}“Samsung Pay is an open platform and the next evolution in Samsung’s mobile payment innovation, designed to act as a complete wallet replacement for users. For example, Samsung Pay’s unique loyalty feature allows for almost any loyalty card to be stored and used via our compatible devices.

“Our goal is to partner with as many financial institutions as possible for the benefit of our customers, and we look forward to Latitude Financial Services customers taking advantage of the benefits Samsung Pay offers.”

David Gelbak, managing director, Commercial and Partnerships, Latitude Financial Services, said: “Samsung Pay provides Latitude Financial Services further opportunities to capitalise on digital mobile payments, and drive front of wallet status in the digital realm. Samsung represents a significant market share of all smartphones in Australia and the adoption of mobile payments is increasing on a rapid scale due to the open source nature of the platform.

“To support the launch of Samsung Pay, Latitude Financial Services customers can take part in exciting competitions to win Samsung Galaxy Note8 devices, and other great offers.”

With the addition of Latitude Financial Services, Samsung Pay has now paired with over 40 payment card brands and has more than 100 different types of loyalty cards able to be loaded onto Samsung Pay – helping to make everyday payments and loyalty point collections simple and secure. Other Samsung Pay partners include AMEX, Citibank, Westpac, Cuscal and ANZ.

Other recent Samsung Pay wins include deals with Bendigo Bank, Suncorp, Westpac and many others.

Latitude Managing Director Commercial, Dave Gelbak says with Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay, customers that have Latitude’s Mastercard products will be able to tap and pay with their eligible devices to make contactless payments.  

Gelbak says customers’ card details are stored securely and never exposed in the open as part of the transaction process.

The Thursday launch of Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay caps off a series of launches for Latitude this year, including a total of five mobile payment platforms since August – releasing Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay.

{loadposition peter}According to Gelbak this latest launch makes Latitude just the second issuer in Australia with integration in all five wallets, and heralded another milestone for Latitude and an important new offering for its customers.

“Latitude is committed to bringing payments innovations to its customer base as fast as possible, and wearables have been growing exponentially globally with the ability to make payments, which further enhances the customer experience.

“Latitude is capitalising on this new technology to provide a seamless payments experience and to enable customers to have their choice of preferred digital payment provider.”

Latitude claims 2.6 million existing customers operating across a range of financial services products including personal loans, credit cards, insurance, and interest-free promotional and retail offers, in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Samsung Pay users can add their Commonwealth Bank MasterCard credit or debit cards to the app, and then make payments with their compatible Samsung tablets and wearables.

"With more than $6 billion of transactions across the CommBank app each week we know that our customers love using their phones to make payments," said Commonwealth Bank general manager of everyday banking and payments, Michael Baumann.

"Since 2013 our customers have been able to use their smartphones to make payments. By offering customers the ability to pay with Samsung Pay we are combining choice and convenience."

{loadposition stephen08}Security features of Samsung Pay include the use of the company's Knox security platform, tokenised card numbers, and a requirement for PIN, iris or fingerprint authentication prior to payment.

Compatible devices include all Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S8 models, plus Gear S2 and S3 smart watches.

As reported earlier today, there is no indication that the Commonwealth Bank is planning to support Apple Pay.

After an initial rollout of PayID and faster payments for CUA team members, to coincide with the national launch of the New Payments Platform earlier this month, CUA head of Payments, Matthew Lobdell, said CUA was now offering the functionality to all members.

“In the first 10 days following the introduction of the NPP and PayID, we had 70% of our CUA team members register a PayID and start sending and receiving faster payments,” Lobdell said.

“We’ve had plenty of enthusiastic members asking us about the NPP since its industry launch, and we’ve had a really positive reception from our own team members. So we are pleased to now be bringing the ability to both send and receive faster payments, and to register an easy-to-remember PayID, to all CUA members.”

{loadposition peter}CUA members can now register their PayID using CUA online banking, as an alternative way to send and receive money, without needing to remember their BSB and account number. Members have a choice of whether they’d prefer to use their mobile phone number, email address or ABN (for businesses) as their PayID. Members can also send and receive faster payments using a BSB and account number, as they do right now.

Lobdell said over the coming months, CUA would look to also integrate NPP functionality into its new mobile banking app, which is in the final stages of development – and encouraged those CUA members who aren’t already using online banking to also set-up online banking and register their PayID.

“This faster way to pay will dramatically change the way that Australians manage their money. When you make a payment from a CUA account or someone sends money to you, the funds will generally be received in less than a minute between participating financial institutions, 24/7 and 365 days a year.

“That is a significant change from the current system, where it can take up to three days for funds to clear and then appear in the destination account.

“Another key benefit is that it is a simpler way to pay. Gone are the days of having to look up your BSB and account number when you’re requesting a payment – now you can simply give your PayID to the person making the payment to you.

“The third benefit is that it is a smarter way to pay, as you can include a much more detailed description of up to 280 characters with each payment, making it easier to keep a record of your payments.”

Lobdell said the rollout of faster payments and PayID was another example of how CUA was working to be available to members anywhere, anytime, by improving the digital experience and choice of channels for members.

“CUA is committed to continually innovating and offering our members a choice of new digital channels. That’s why we’ve invested significant time and resources into the NPP project, and we are excited to be amongst the early adopters across the industry,” he said.

“This builds on the continually expanding digital offering that our members are already benefitting from, like our mobile wallet offering, with CUA among a limited number of financial institutions to be offering members a choice between all three digital wallets – Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.

“We were also the first financial institution to sign on to trial Australia’s Post’s new online identity verification tool, Digital iD, which is now being trialled for members applying to open selected transaction accounts online.”

Samsung proudly boasts its Samsung Pay service "has become the first smartphone mobile wallet provider in Australia to be made available to customers of the ‘Big Four’ banks in Australia, following today’s partnership announcement with National Australia Bank", as part of the NAB's "NAB Pay" system.

We're told that "NAB’s customers — along with those of the three other ‘Big Four’ banks and over 45 financial institutions in Australia — now have access to Samsung Pay and can load their Visa credit and / or debit cards to make payments via compatible Samsung smartphone devices and wearable products".

As you'd expect, Samsung says this announcement demonstrates its "pledge to making mobile wallets a convenient part of everyday life for millions of Australians", and naturally, Samsung states that today’s announcement positions the company "as a leading player in the mobile payments landscape", which certainly makes it quite the Samsung Pay day!

{loadposition alex08}The service is described as not only providing "users with a simple and secure way to pay, but also allows users to load their loyalty cards to capture reward points at the point of sale, which lessens their reliance on a physical wallet".

Mark Hodgson, head of Product and Services at Samsung Electronics Australia, said: “We’re thrilled to be able provide the Samsung Pay experience to even more Australians. Our partnership with NAB builds on our commitment to providing a simple and secure digital wallet experience to every Australian using a Samsung smartphone or wearable.

“Today’s announcement also represents an important milestone as we are now able to provide Samsung Pay to all major banking customers across the nation. We believe that our collaboration with partners like NAB will help further enhance our mobile experience for Australians and look forward evolving the portfolio further over the upcoming year.”

Article continues below image, please read on!

The announcement comes after the very recent launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones which Samsung states "have received positive reviews from many technology experts and customers alike. In Australia, pre-sales results for the S9 and S9+ have broken previous records for Samsung in this market".

Angus Gilfillan, NAB executive general manager of Consumer Lending, said: "NAB is giving customers more choice when it comes to digital wallets.

“In addition to our own mobile banking app and NAB Pay, we are continuing to invest in giving our customers the best digital payments experience. We know our customers increasingly want to be able to pay for their purchases quickly and conveniently, and Samsung Pay is a safe and secure digital wallet that they can now use."

Samsung reminds us that Samsung Pay "offers multiple security features; a tokenised card number for the user, which means no sensitive payment card information is stored on the device, and it also requires pre-payment authentication via PIN, iris or fingerprint".

The Samsung Pay app is housed on Samsung’s "Knox" security platform, which the company says "has undergone a series of rigorous security procedures making Samsung Pay a secure and trusted payment platform".

Additionally, Samsung says, "Users also receive remote access to the Find My Mobile website to easily lock their mobile phone device and prevent access to Samsung Pay if their device is misplaced."

Samsung explains that "in order to prevent access to Samsung Pay if the device is misplaced, users must log into Samsung's Find My Mobile site using their Samsung Account login details, select ‘Lock my Device’ and then click ‘Lock’.”

Having first launched in Australia in June 2016, Samsung Pay has "partnered with hundreds of banks worldwide, processing millions of transactions via the Samsung Pay payments platform".

Compatible Samsung smartphones include:

Galaxy S9 and S9+, Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy S7 and 7 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, Galaxy A7, Galaxy A5, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy J5 Pro.

Compatible Galaxy wearables include:

Gear S3, Gear S2, Gear Sport.

More about Samsung Pay is here.

iTWire's coverage of CBA's Samsung Pay service is here, ANZ is here, Westpac is here, Suncorp is here, Bendigo Bank is here, with stacks of other Australian financial institutions here.

Billed as being "simple, secure and almost anywhere", Samsung Pay has reached that milestone globally in 24 markets – which has included Australia since June 2015, and which secured Australia's four major banks by March 2018, for a total of 45 financial institutions in Australia at that time. 

Now comes Samsung Pay's third anniversary, having originally launched in South Korea on 20 August 2015.

Since then, Samsung reports its payment service having "experienced significant global growth and is now available in six continents and 24 markets, including the latest market, South Africa".

{loadposition alex08}Samsung stated: "Thanks to the support and partnership of thousands of banks and countless network, merchant and service providers across the globe, Samsung recently passed more than 1.3 billion transactions globally."

The six continents are: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

The 24 markets are: South Korea, the US, China, Spain, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Sweden, the UAE, Taiwan, Switzerland, Hong Kong, the UK, Vietnam, Mexico, Italy, Canada and South Africa, with "preliminary access" available in France.

D.J. Koh, president and chief executive of IT and Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics, said: “Since we launched Samsung Pay three years ago, we have been dedicated to delivering a mobile wallet platform that is simple, secure and works almost anywhere. We have been expanding its availability and forming strategic partnerships in each market to meet the unique needs of their users.

“And we’re not limiting ourselves to a mobile wallet – by integrating with our other mobile services, consumers will be able to earn Samsung Rewards points, use Bixby for a more seamless payment experience and more.”

In Australia, before the above news was launched, I conducted a video interview with Hodgson, to share his thoughts on why using mobile wallets is the perfect balance of secure and convenient.

Here is the video interview; the article continues thereafter, please read on!

As we all know, consumers these days value convenience above all else.

They’re looking for things to be quick and easy, and that’s why mobile payments and digital wallets have become such a popular way to make purchases. But letting a phone hold access to you bank accounts and credit cards can be risky.

With recent events like [the] Facebook/Cambridge Analytica [scandal], it’s now more important than ever for consumers to take a look at how they are protecting their personal data.

That’s why it’s so important for consumers to use technology that offers a balance of security with convenience.

Samsung Pay is meeting this fine line between convenient and secure, and Samsung states its Knox Technology mobile payments are both secure and protected, as Knox uses tokenisation of card details.

Payment card information is protected by substituting card numbers with a unique code identified using algorithms. This ‘token’ is then used to send the transaction, meaning your direct card details like the card number have not been transmitted in the transaction.

But protecting consumer’s personal data goes far beyond tokenisation. Technologies like one-time password requirements and user authentication through iris scans, fingerprint or passcode are all equally important to protecting consumers banking details.

Ultimately, with the right security in place, digital wallets can offer the ability to pay with peace of mind.

So, what is more news of Samsung Pay's global growth?

Well, we're told the growth of Samsung Pay highlights the company’s localised and open approach to mobile payments.

With approximately 2000 banking and financial partners globally, we're told Samsung Pay offers value-added services based on local market needs, including:

• Online payments, now available in 15 markets, including Australia, Brazil, Switzerland and Taiwan.
• Transit cards in 5 markets, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and the UK.
• Loyalty and membership cards in 20 markets, including Canada, France, Mexico and Sweden.
• ATM transactions in 5 markets including Russia, South Korea, the UAE, the US and Vietnam.
• Samsung Rewards, offering points to purchase merchant partner vouchers and Samsung products and services, available in 10 markets, including India, Malaysia, Spain and the US.
• Pay Planner, helping users spend more wisely by tracking their transaction history and analysing their consumption pattern in South Korea and the UAE.
• Bixby integration, allowing users to make purchases at popular merchants with one simple request.

Samsung tells us that it takes "a localised approach for every launch, ensuring that the partnerships, value-added services and capabilities of Samsung Pay are customised for each market to provide the optimum mobile wallet service".

"Samsung also works with existing payment services so that when the service is introduced in the market, it’s seamlessly integrated into the payment infrastructure.

"For example, in Hong Kong, Samsung exclusively partnered with Octopus Card to bring NFC-enabled Octopus payments to the market’s diverse transit and retail establishments, offering customers a fast and simple payment experience.

"Samsung’s partnership network extends with support from retail and corporate leaders, including 'Ticket', one of the largest benefits card providers for organisations in Brazil, and El Corte Inglés department store in Spain.

"By taking a localised approach to partnerships like these, millions of users benefit from having a centralized and secure payments platform across multiple card types, and exclusive rewards such as product vouchers, instant rebates and extra loyalty points."

Samsung states its "model of open collaboration extends into the broader payments industry through partnerships with major financial institutions, including Alipay (China), WeChat Pay (China), BHIM UPI (India), PAYCO (South Korea), Chase Pay (US), PayPal (US), and NAPAS (Vietnam).

"By partnering with these financial leaders", Samsung says its service "provides consumers with a more functional mobile payment platform. Additionally, with PayPal, users can now pay offline, and soon online via Samsung Pay".

"Other partnerships, such as those with Chase Pay and PAYCO (South Korea) use Samsung’s MST technology, giving customers even greater flexibility in how they make payments."

Here's the Samsung Pay infographic, which you can see in full resolution by clicking here or the image below: