Samsung Pay is Here: The Future of Digital Wallet

I am sure that I am not the only one who goes shopping and later remembers that he has missed his wallet at home. It has been very embarrassing at times, especially when I have gone out with my family. However my mobile phone has become my extended arm. If I don’t see it for even 5 minutes then I skip a beat. With so many apps on my phone wouldn’t it be nice if there was an app that allows you to pay through your credit & debit card?

Yes, it’s possible now. Samsung has introduced a new application for its smart phone users – Samsung Pay that allows its users to pay their spends through their smart phone and the expenses will be debited to credit card or debit card of your choice. This revolutionary technology will surely change the way Indian’s transact and fuel the dream of Digital India envisaged by our Honourable Prime Minster.

However the first question that comes to your mind is if this technology is safe? As per my experience in banking industry (yes I have worked in a bank and a NBFC for over 15 years), using Samsung Pay gives you an added layer of security. When you use a credit card, it is secured by a PIN whereas to use Samsung Pay, one will also have to match their finger print. Another benefit of using Samsung Pay is that one can make the transaction just by touching your phone to the POS machine. It means no more handing over your card to the server in a restaurant and the best part is that since the usage is contactless, the card cannot be skimmed.

To get a little technical, Samsung Pay works with Samsung patented Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology as well as the Near Field Communication (NFC). This ensures contactless usage. Currently Samsung Pay works on Visa, Master Card, American Express gateway of the following banks – Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI bank, SBI Card and Standard Chartered Bank. Citibank will also join the Samsung Pay services soon.

How to download: This application is not available on Android Play Store. Rather it will get automatically downloaded to your phone when you upgrade the software of any of these following models: Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S7, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy A7 (2016), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017). Not only on the phone, Samsung Pay also works on Samsung S3 watch too. The technology is ever changing and can make life simpler, Samsung Pay just shows that. I have already downloaded Samsung Pay on my Samsung Note 5 and registered my cards and Paytm on it. This shows my confidence on the product.