How to Set Up and Start Using Samsung Pay
When contactless payments first began, the idea of using your phone to make a payment seemed truly futuristic. Fast-forward just twenty years, and the vast majority of smartphone users can now ditch their wallets and make a payment using their mobile devices.
While iPhone users have Apple Pay, Samsung users have the option of Google Pay or Samsung’s own wallet solution, Samsung Pay.
What Do You Need to Get Started With Samsung Pay?
As its name suggests, Samsung Pay is a digital wallet app that has been designed to work only with Samsung devices. It’s not available on iOS, and while there are workarounds to run it on other Android devices, Google Pay also lets users pay with their phone.
In some parts of the world, Samsung Pay has been replaced by Samsung Wallet.
What Phones Support Samsung Pay?
Samsung Pay is available on modern Samsung phones that support NFC. Some older Samsung phones must be running the Android Nougat 7.0 software update for Samsung Pay to work. Supported devices include:
- Galaxy Z Series
- Galaxy Note Series (Galaxy Note 5 and newer)
- Galaxy S Series (Galaxy S6 Edge+ and newer)
- Galaxy M Series (M22, M23 5G, M32, M33 5G, M52 5G, M62)
- Galaxy A Series (Galaxy A5 and newer)
Samsung Pay is also supported on these Gear devices:
- Gear S3
- Gear Sport
- Galaxy Watch
- Galaxy Watch Active
- Galaxy Watch Active2
- Galaxy Watch3
- Galaxy Watch4
- Galaxy Watch4 Classic
- Galaxy Watch5 series
A full list of supported Samsung phones and Gear devices is available on the Samsung website.
What Card Providers are Supported on Samsung Pay?
Besides a supported Samsung smartphone, you also need a supported card provider to get started with Samsung Pay.
In the US, Samsung has partnered with American Express, Visa, and Mastercard, and many major banks including Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, and Capital One, along with many smaller banks and credit unions.
In the UK, some large banks, including Monzo and Barclays are missing from the supported list. While Samsung assures its users that it is working to support more card providers on Samsung Pay, it seems to be placing a lot of emphasis on Samsung Pay+, which uses Curve’s engine to bring all MasterCard, Visa, Debit, and Credit cards together under one app.
See the complete list of supported banks and cards in the US and in the UK. If you aren’t in the US or UK, check the Support pages on samsung.com to find out which banks are supported where you are.
How to Set Up and Use Samsung Pay
So long as you bank with one of the supported card providers, setting up Samsung Pay on your device is relatively pain-free. You can add up to 10 payment cards to your Samsung Pay app and can also set a default transport card and add up to 300 loyalty cards.
If you’re using Samsung Pay in the US, there’s also the option to add and use supported gift cards.
How to Add a Card to Samsung Pay
For security purposes, Samsung has blocked users from taking screenshots of the card input screen, but we’ll try to walk you through the process as best we can.
- Open the Samsung Pay app on your smartphone.
- Head to + Payment cards.
- From here, you’ll have the option to scan your payment card, add it using NFC (if it’s contactless), or add the card details manually. For security purposes, Samsung has prevented us from taking a screenshot of this.
- Finally, you’ll be prompted to input the billing address associated with your chosen payment card.
Once you’ve added a payment card to your Samsung Pay app, you’ll notice that the + Payment Cards button has changed to 01 Payment Cards. To view your payment card or add another card, simply tap 01 Payment Cards and then tap Add in the top right-hand corner.
How to Set a Default Transport Card to Samsung Pay
In some countries, you can use Samsung Pay on public transport systems. To set a default transport card to your Samsung Pay app, you need to have added at least one payment card to your wallet.
- To set your default transport card, either select Transport card from the side menu or scroll down on your Samsung Pay app home screen until you see the section titled Transport card.
- From here, tap Set up transport card.
- If you have more than one card added to your wallet, you will need to select the card you wish to use.
- Next, you’ll be prompted to verify your chosen payment method by SMS or email.
Setting up a transport card will enable you to pay for transport using any transport card reader even while your phone screen is off. If you don’t want to use the Transport Card feature, then you can always disable it by heading to the Set up transport card screen and then toggling off Use transport card.
How to Add a Loyalty Card to Samsung Pay
If you have numerous loyalty cards bulging out of your wallet, then adding them to Samsung Pay can lighten your load. Samsung Pay allows users to add up to 300 loyalty cards to the app, making it easier to collect loyalty points and redeem them without carrying a physical card.
- Tap + Loyalty cards from the Samsung Pay home screen or head to Loyalty cards from the side menu.
- You’ll then see the option to Import loyalty cards or to Add loyalty cards to your Samsung Pay account.
- If you haven’t used a Wallet app before, then you’ll need to select Add loyalty cards.
- Next, select the loyalty card you want to add from the list or search for it. There’s also the option to add a loyalty card that isn’t on the list.
- If your loyalty card has a barcode, you’ll then be prompted to scan it or to enter your loyalty card details manually.
How to Use Samsung Pay to Make a Payment
To use Samsung Pay, open the app either by selecting it from your app page or by swiping up from the bottom of your Home or Lock screen. From here, select the card you wish to pay with and then use your fingerprint or Samsung Pay pin to verify your identity. Certain Samsung devices can also verify your identity with iris scanning.
Hold your device to the card reader, and your payment will complete using Near Field Communication (NFC). Once payment is complete, you’ll receive a notification.
How to Use Samsung Pay Online
You can use Samsung Pay to make online payments anywhere where you see the Samsung Pay Checkout button. Currently, this feature is only available on select apps and websites.
To make a payment online with Samsung Pay, select the Samsung Pay Checkout option and then select Pay with Samsung Pay. You’ll then need to sign in with your Samsung Account ID, and a notification will appear on your phone. Authenticate the payment using your fingerprint, iris, or PIN to complete the payment. It’s worth noting that for Samsung Pay to work online, your website login must match your Samsung Account ID.
How to Use Samsung Pay as a Transport Card
Using your default Samsung Pay transport card is slightly different because you do not need to open the app or authenticate the payment. To use your default transport card, simply hold your phone to the card reader.
Your phone will need to be switched on, but the screen does not need to be active.
How to Use Loyalty Cards With Samsung Pay
To use a loyalty card, open the Samsung Pay app and then head to the Pay tab. Tap Loyalty cards and select the loyalty card you wish to use. Its barcode will appear on your screen for you to scan.
Alternatively, select Loyalty cards from the app menu, select the loyalty card you want to use, and then select the Tap to use card at the bottom of your screen.
The redemption of points of credits on your loyalty card can be done on the merchant’s system after you have scanned your loyalty card. The process is designed to be the same as if you have swiped your physical loyalty card.
Is Samsung Pay Secure?
While the idea of using your phone as a wallet can be daunting, there are a number of security measures in place to keep your transactions secure. Samsung Pay uses Tokenization and Samsung KNOX to secure your payment information and will also require your fingerprint or a 4-digit PIN to authorize in-store purchases.
If you have a Galaxy phone such as the Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+, Note9, S8, S8+, or Note8, you can also use iris scanning technology to verify your payments.
What Happens if You Lose Your Phone?
If your phone is lost or stolen, your cards and payment information will remain secure. Your card details remain hidden while your phone is locked, and users will not be able to authenticate in-store purchases without your fingerprint or Samsung Pay pin. If you have added a travel card to your account, then this can be used without unlocking your phone.
You can use Samsung’s Find My Mobile service to find your device and disable your payment cards remotely.
Deciding on a Digital Wallet
While iPhone users are restricted to Apple Pay, Samsung users have the option to use Google Pay or Samsung Pay on their devices.
While Samsung Pay may seem like an obvious choice for Samsung users, Google Pay does provide one major additional feature: it allows you to make online payments as well as payments in-store. If you’ve never tried a digital wallet before, then have a look at both Samsung Pay and Google Pay before making your decision.
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