INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Mobile Technology
Samsung Pay launches in South Africa
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Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has announced that its mobile payment service , Samsung Pay , has launched in South Africa .
Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment platform , enabling users to make mobile payments almost anywhere using both MST and NFC technology . The first of its kind in Africa , it offers the ultimate flexible payment solution that features the benefits of both a physical and mobile wallet to make in-store purchases safer and simpler .
It also gives users full control of their digital payment journey by ensuring all transactions are secure and authenticated by the user . Featuring Samsung ’ s defencegrade Samsung Knox security platform and biometric authentication through iris or fingerprint scanning , users can have peace of mind that their personal payment information is safe . Additionally , tokenisation ensures that a user ’ s actual card information is never exposed during a transaction , making every payment more secure .
Samsung Pay is currently available for Absa and Standard Bank customers with supported Mastercard and Visa payment cards . Avios credit cards , British Airways credit cards and Virgin Money cards are also supported .
While cash might not be dead , and cards still dominate the payments landscape , the world of contactless payments is evolving faster than ever before . The way consumers make payments is changing faster than any area of financial services , impacted by rapid changes in digital technology , competitive forces and consumer demands .
Ethel Nyembe , Standard Bank SA Head of Card Issuing , added : “ We want to make sure that Standard Bank ’ s payment solutions become the preferred choice for digital experiences – whether it be traditional cards , virtual cards , tap to pay , or Samsung Pay . Customers retain their plastic cards , but we are making sure that people who want to go beyond traditional payment methods can now participate in an exciting mobile payments world , which is getting bigger every day .”
Samsung Pay , the most widely accepted mobile payment platform , has launched in South Africa
To start using Samsung Pay , users should upgrade to the latest software version for their eligible Samsung Galaxy smartphone and simply download the Samsung Pay app .
Mark Elliott , Division President at Mastercard , Southern Africa , said , “ We have been a pioneer of mobile commerce innovation for years and are excited to work with Samsung to deliver new frictionless payment options to consumers , in turn helping to accelerate the adoption of digital payments in South Africa .
“ Every Samsung Pay transaction made with Mastercard is highly secure . A critical part of this is our ability to tokenise cardholder details , where a ‘ token ’ and not a real card number is provided to the shop , offering both consumers and retailers all the safety benefits and guarantees of a transaction made with a physical card .” •
“ Samsung Pay works almost anywhere you can swipe , insert or tap a card , so as the first country in Africa to implement this , we are hugely excited about how it ’ s going to transform our customers ’ lives ”, said Craige Fleischer , Vice President of Integrated Mobility for Samsung South Africa . “ Samsung Pay is committed to driving the mobile wallet movement in Africa and this launch furthers Samsung ’ s dedication to delivering innovative services to consumers everywhere .”
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