Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Surf Donkey

Suspended
May 12, 2015
1,541
1,434
Well Sasmung snagged LoopPay up first for $250 mil. Its not like Samsung invented the technology (in response to Apple falling behind), they just put forward the $$. It pays off now, but is not a very long term investment. I can understand why Apple decided to pass as I am sure they had a chance to acquire as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tbayrgs

tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,097
Samsung Pay most certainly has an advantage in usability here in the US, considering merchant payment systems are years behind much of the rest of the world still relying heavily on magstrip readers. The change this past October that put fraud liability solely on the merchant if they did not adopt chip readers (and usually have NFC capabilities as well) hasn't had the desired push as from my experience, the authorization process via the chip reader is noticeably longer than via magstrip. Plus the fact that the change isn't to chip/pin on credit cards but chip and sign (wtf???) meant unnecessarily long checkout times.

I read an article a short while back that indicated many larger scale merchants/retailers weren't in a hurry to make the change because the added delay in authorizations meant significantly lower checkout rate and thus either less sales per hour or that they need to have extra employees dedicated to checkout and thus more cost. This added cost, plus any additional cost associated with changing all of their payment hardware could actually be more than their average loss due to fraud and thus, retailers don't have any incentive to switch. Most of the very large merchants I regularly shop at still have little cards/signs taped to their terminals indicating chip reader isn't being used yet and fewer have adopted NFC.

So yeah, in the US, Samsung Pay can be used at significantly more locations, but it's far from ubiquitous or problematic. It can't be used at most fuel terminals that require a card to be inserted to have the magstrip read, nor merchants that don't have front facing payment terminals where the clerk processed the card (I'm not handing over my phone). And nearly all restaurants here in the US take your card from the table for payment (again, not giving them my phone). So anyone claiming they don't need to carry cards anymore has to specifically avoid any of these merchant unless for these circumstance they just figure cash payment is better. ;) And in addition to plenty of documented cases online of merchants unwilling to allow the use of Samsung Pay for fear they are being hacked (I believe Fernandez21 had his own example of this), I've seen it happen in person myself.

To be clear, I'm not belittling Samsung Pay at all as it can do everything Apple Pay can functionally do and more. I just think it needs some more effort from Samsung to make sure merchants understand how it works and it sounds like there still aren't nearly as many banks on board yet. I also think those in the US claiming they no longer need credit cards anymore either didn't use them that much to start or aren't being entirely truthful as there are numerous situations I encounter daily where it wouldn't work.
 
Last edited:

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,877
10,987
Samsung Pay most certainly has an advantage in usability here in the US, considering merchant payment systems are years behind much of the rest of the world still relying heavily on magstrip readers. The change this past October that put fraud liability solely on the merchant if they did not adopt chip readers (and usually have NFC capabilities as well) hasn't had the desired push as from my experience, the authorization process via the chip reader is noticeably longer than via magstrip. Plus the fact that the change isn't to chip/pin on credit cards but chip and sign (wtf???) meant unnecessarily long checkout times.

I read an article a short while back that indicated many larger scale merchants/retailers weren't in a hurry to make the change because the added delay in authorizations meant significantly lower checkout rate and thus either less sales per hour or that they need to have extra employees dedicated to checkout and thus more cost. This added cost, plus any additional cost associated with changing all of their payment hardware could actually be more than their average loss due to fraud and thus, retailers don't have any incentive to switch. Most of the very large merchants I regularly shop at still have little cards/signs taped to their terminals indicating chip reader isn't being used yet and fewer have adopted NFC.

So yeah, in the US, Samsung Pay can be used at significantly more locations, but it's far from ubiquitous or problematic. It can't be used at most fuel terminals that require a card to be inserted to have the magstrip read, nor merchants that don't have front facing payment terminals where the clerk processed the card (I'm not handing over my phone). And nearly all restaurants here in the US take your card from the table for payment (again, not giving them my phone). So anyone claiming they don't need to carry cards anymore has to specifically avoid any of these merchant unless for these circumstance they just figure cash payment is better. ;) And in addition to plenty of documented cases online of merchants unwilling to allow the use of Samsung Pay for fear they are being hacked (I believe Fernandez21 had his own example of this), I've seen it happen in person myself.

To be clear, I'm not belittling Samsung Pay at all as it can do everything Apple Pay can functional do and more. I just think it needs some more effort from Samsung to make sure merchants understand how it works and it sounds like there still aren't nearly as many banks on board yet. I also think those in the US claiming they no longer need credit cards anymore either didn't use them that much to start or aren't being entirely truthful as there are numerous situations I encounter daily where it wouldn't work.


Actually it can be used at the fuel pump. You must get the pump to respond before trying it. I've done it by getting the pump to ask for sliding/inserting card, by either taking off the nozzle from the pump or pressing select a certain button, depending on the type of pump. So far I had 100% success rate at doing so, but I've only tried Mobil, BP, Speedway, and Exxon pumps. So my experience isn't proven nationwide with every brand of pump out there.

I agree with you about it being too early to leave physical cards at home. But that really depends on the user. For myself, I still need to carry cards.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gotluck

kdarling

macrumors P6
Samsung Pay most certainly has an advantage in usability here in the US, considering merchant payment systems are years behind much of the rest of the world still relying heavily on magstrip readers.

As of mid 2015, only about 1/3 of the world's transactions are done via EMV (chip).

Samsung Pay's magnetic mode will likely be useful in quite a few places for at least another decade.
 

I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
35,158
25,268
Gotta be in it to win it
Actually it can be used at the fuel pump. You must get the pump to respond before trying it. I've done it by getting the pump to ask for sliding/inserting card, by either taking off the nozzle from the pump or pressing select a certain button, depending on the type of pump. So far I had 100% success rate at doing so, but I've only tried Mobil, BP, Speedway, and Exxon pumps. So my experience isn't proven nationwide with every brand of pump out there.

I agree with you about it being too early to leave physical cards at home. But that really depends on the user. For myself, I still need to carry cards.
I mostly fill up with Exxon and use the speed pass+ app. The pump is authorized before the attendant comes over.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Jun 11, 2009
11,488
5,413
Meh, by the time I pull out my phone, slide up and use my fingerprint I could already have had my credit card out. I like Samsung pay and can't wait until it's ubiquitous, but there are still plenty of times I still need to carry the actual CC.
 

AliMacs

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 8, 2014
496
810
Samsung Pay does work with EMV terminals.

Yes it does and those who are saying this is obsolete are half right but at the moment it is superior to Apple Pay/android pay.

those that never used Samsung pay at 95% of the stores that accept magnetic swipe terminals and have no NFC access, you don't know what you are missing - but then again you do know what you are missing but won't admit your Apple Pay sucks.

Where your Apple Pay works, Samsung pay also works. So not only is this a double duty system, it's awesomely working where your typical NFC terminals don't.

In the USA - magnetic card readers are still dominant. Unless you want to eat McDonald's, shop at whole foods, and buy expensive coffee all day - you need a system where it will work with all magnetic card readers and there is none except Samsung pay.

I didn't know how much of an impact this would have because with my sister's Apple Pay we couldn't use it at the places we ate at, shopped at, and almost none of the mom and pop stores took Apple Pay.

So those of you who are thinking I'm pushing this out as some sort of "agenda" - you are wrong because I am a true believe of tech that works. Apple Pay/android pay fails at nearly all the places I like to shop/eat/play at. Good luck using your Apple Pay if you think you're fully covered.
[doublepost=1460955975][/doublepost]
So what do you guys do when you come to a card reader that doesn't support nfc? My iPhone doesn't work in that situation but Samsung Pay will. Maybe everywhere you go has tap to pay but it's pretty limited where I'm at.

They don't go to those places so they say. OBviously it is peasant like if you use MST tech because well, it's not by Apple. If Apple was smart enough to buy up Loop pay and implement this tech AND also keep their Apple Pay NFC payment, then they would have a huge hit.

I'm not saying magnetic card readers are safe - but with virtual numbers being used it's not a problem. Magnetic card readers will eventually go away but good luck because Apple Pay has been on market for 2 years and have not done anything to push tap and pay technology into all business establishments.
[doublepost=1460956209][/doublepost]
Meh, by the time I pull out my phone, slide up and use my fingerprint I could already have had my credit card out. I like Samsung pay and can't wait until it's ubiquitous, but there are still plenty of times I still need to carry the actual CC.

I don't normally even bother with android pay back in 2013/2014. It was a "cool" thing to pay with your phone. But I have many credit cards and I'm done carrying around a stack of them in my wallet. I like having them all in my phone and it's so easy to use on the S7 Edge, it's amazing.

Options to activate with screen off, lock screen on, home screen on. These are options that users get - choices that Apple will never let you because they just don't allow you to have the freedom.

On the topic of choices - I can see how these choices can overwhelm the old and uneducated smartphone users. I'd never buy anything but an iPhone for my mom and dad. Because anything with more than one option confuses them. Same for friends who don't understand about anything tech - they love iPhones because well, you don't get that overwhelming list of options to choose from. Simplicity has its benefits.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dave.UK and AleXXXa

The Game 161

macrumors Nehalem
Dec 15, 2010
30,991
20,172
UK
so is this thing with samsung pay guaranteed to work everywhere in most countries then? if so might be tempted to get the S7 edge to try this out if it's true or not
 

AliMacs

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 8, 2014
496
810
so is this thing with samsung pay guaranteed to work everywhere in most countries then? if so might be tempted to get the S7 edge to try this out if it's true or not

No - I think the 935F/international models doesn't include Samsung pay support. Right now only in the good'ol US of A.
This is just for MST - for euro market you just use android pay. You got android pay, Samsung pay w/MST as well built right in. Choices baby, love them choices!
 
  • Like
Reactions: AleXXXa

\-V-/

Suspended
May 3, 2012
3,153
2,688
Samsung Pay is definitely superior to Apple Pay where NFC is not available because of the magnet strip functionality that's been brought up in here already. Apple should really do something like that. Makes things more universally functional.

Android Pay doesn't even support my bank, so I never even used it when I had an Android phone. I'm glad to have an iPhone again because my bank does support Apple Pay.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AleXXXa

The Game 161

macrumors Nehalem
Dec 15, 2010
30,991
20,172
UK
No - I think the 935F/international models doesn't include Samsung pay support. Right now only in the good'ol US of A.
This is just for MST - for euro market you just use android pay. You got android pay, Samsung pay w/MST as well built right in. Choices baby, love them choices!
That's a shame

Certainly interested by S7 edge though as a 2nd phone
 

GadgetSN

macrumors 6502
Sep 7, 2014
376
121
Looks like Samsung pay has its advantages. However if you have an iPhone who cares. If you have a Samsung who cares if Apple pay is better?

Im sure no one picks their phone based on apple pay vs Samsung pay. At the end of the day, I expect both to be able to be used everywhere in the near future.

We dont yet have Samsung pay in the UK but if it requires a fingerprint then Samsung pay could be more of a pain given that my S6 Edge plus fingerprint reader frequently fails to recognise my fingerprint after a few weeks following each reset. The amount of times I have been forced to wait 29 secs before trying again to unlock my device has been annoying . Samsung must be the worst implementers of fingerprint sensors in the market.
 
Last edited:

Zaft

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2009
4,570
4,049
Brooklyn, NY
When using Samsung pay with old terminals its the same as a CC so its not secure like using NFC. Im guessing thats why apple does not us it, its all about security for them not convenience.
 

vladi

macrumors 65816
Jan 30, 2010
1,008
617
When using Samsung pay with old terminals its the same as a CC so its not secure like using NFC. Im guessing thats why apple does not us it, its all about security for them not convenience.

No its not. So CCs are not secure enough anymore?
 
  • Like
Reactions: AleXXXa

hallux

macrumors 68040
Apr 25, 2012
3,443
1,005
I mostly fill up with Exxon and use the speed pass+ app. The pump is authorized before the attendant comes over.

I just use my Speedpass. I installed the SpeedPass+ app and set up an account but the app was a battery HOG. Of course, I have to pump my own gas so it's just as easy to swipe the key tag on the pump. When I go to NJ, I just hand the attendant my CC.

I use Android Pay, and have even been able to use it at a merchant/terminal that wasn't yet advertising it was available, the cashier started to tell me it wouldn't work, then realized it did. My biggest gripe is lack of support from the banks, of my 4 credit cards that I rotate only ONE has official support, with another that works through a pass-through (so rewards don't work right).
 

I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
35,158
25,268
Gotta be in it to win it
I just use my Speedpass. I installed the SpeedPass+ app and set up an account but the app was a battery HOG. Of course, I have to pump my own gas so it's just as easy to swipe the key tag on the pump. When I go to NJ, I just hand the attendant my CC.

I use Android Pay, and have even been able to use it at a merchant/terminal that wasn't yet advertising it was available, the cashier started to tell me it wouldn't work, then realized it did. My biggest gripe is lack of support from the banks, of my 4 credit cards that I rotate only ONE has official support, with another that works through a pass-through (so rewards don't work right).
I dont have an issue with the app and get a gas discount because I have my Exxon cc hooked up to the app. Speed pass does not give that discount.
 

Zaft

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2009
4,570
4,049
Brooklyn, NY
hah- I dont think Ive ever seen a full service gas station :p
Check out yotube of gas station service in japan..

On another note, I made a poor assumption about samsung pay being not secure if it used the magnetic strip. Sorry about that, I was wrong.
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
When the mom and pops are the only stores accepting mag stripes, the fraudsters will swarm to their stores.

Many smaller stores never updated in some other EMV countries, because there was no need. For example, a shop that sells knitting supplies, rarely -- if ever -- has fraud.

We dont yet have Samsung pay in the UK but if it requires a fingerprint then Samsung pay could be more of a pain ...

It's the same as Apple Pay: you can use a code instead of a fingerprint.

When using Samsung pay with old terminals its the same as a CC so its not secure like using NFC. Im guessing thats why apple does not use it, its all about security for them not convenience.

The magnetic version uses similar security methods as NFC, such as short range and account tokens.

Probably Apple thought EMV support would come quicker. And/or they didn't want to find room inside their phone for it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gotluck

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,626
11,298
Samsung Pay on a cellular radio enabled watch that's untethered from phone makes the most sense and that's when I'll start using it more.
 

AliMacs

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 8, 2014
496
810
When using Samsung pay with old terminals its the same as a CC so its not secure like using NFC. Im guessing thats why apple does not us it, its all about security for them not convenience.

Ignorant. Just typical ignorant replies against samsung pay. the cc's number virtual, buddy.
[doublepost=1461009655][/doublepost]
The magnetic version uses similar security methods as NFC, such as short range and account tokens.

Probably Apple thought EMV support would come quicker. And/or they didn't want to find room inside their phone for it.

.4mm difference with iPhone 6s+ being thinner by a mere .4mm and yet that camera bulge on the iPhone apple can afford to include. makes perfect sense. It's not due to size, it's due to the fact their arrogance trumps what consumers want.

2 years later apple pay still makes no difference in everyday use. Google wallet tap to pay was available since 2013 along with ISIS mobile payments yet they still couldn't make a difference. In the USA, card swiping is just too dominant.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AleXXXa

Zaft

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2009
4,570
4,049
Brooklyn, NY
Ignorant. Just typical ignorant replies against samsung pay. the cc's number virtual, buddy.
[doublepost=1461009655][/doublepost]

.4mm difference with iPhone 6s+ being thinner by a mere .4mm and yet that camera bulge on the iPhone apple can afford to include. makes perfect sense. It's not due to size, it's due to the fact their arrogance trumps what consumers want.

2 years later apple pay still makes no difference in everyday use. Google wallet tap to pay was available since 2013 along with ISIS mobile payments yet they still couldn't make a difference. In the USA, card swiping is just too dominant.
I guess you didn't bother to read my latest post. Go ahead
 

tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,097
Ignorant. Just typical ignorant replies against samsung pay. the cc's number virtual, buddy.

Calm down...jeez. If you'd taken the time to actually read just a little further, you'd have seen he acknowledged his own error and apologized.

.4mm difference with iPhone 6s+ being thinner by a mere .4mm and yet that camera bulge on the iPhone apple can afford to include. makes perfect sense. It's not due to size, it's due to the fact their arrogance trumps what consumers want.

Really? You think this is all about what consumer's want? Last I checked, consumer adoption of Samsung Pay wasn't anywhere close to that of Apple Pay. Where's this ground swell of consumers voicing what they want? :rolleyes:

Apple was admittedly trying to help push the industry in a direction that would benefit them of course, but it's a good direction to be heading in. Magstrip tech is old tech that has already died in much of the world and by all accounts, should be headed that way here in the US, if financial institutions and legislators could get their heads out of their asses. The 'deadline' imposed to try to get merchants to adopt EMV hasn't had the desired effect because of the aforementioned half asses implementation. But be that as it may, we are heading in the direction and ultimately, magstrip readers will be going the way of the Dodo. Samsung's implementation of the Looppay tech is certainly a nice stop gap, but that's all it is, and using it does nothing to encourage the industry to move away from magstrip cards/readers. So in that regard, I'd actually argue Samsung Pay does more harm than good.

2 years later apple pay still makes no difference in everyday use. Google wallet tap to pay was available since 2013 along with ISIS mobile payments yet they still couldn't make a difference. In the USA, card swiping is just too dominant.

So you're saying we should just embrace magstrip tech till the end of time? Why bother trying to innovate and improve payment tech? :rolleyes:

Google Wallet failed because Google put absolutely nothing behind it, plain and simple. Apple taking the lead with Apple Pay a least lit a bit of a fire under them and the rest of the industry--I now see far more Google Pay stickers at merchants than I ever did Google Wallet. And yes, Touch to Pay is certainly far from ubiquitous but it's far more prevalent today than it was 18 months ago when it was first introduced. I use it daily at least once, often more. In fact, I went on a food/errand run while at my daughter's soccer tournament, had to make 4 stops (not determined by me ahead of time, just given a list before I'm accused of selecting them simply because they accept Tap to Pay) and all 4 accepted it--was surprised myself. Hell, even the small family run dog daycare and boarding facility I use now takes it on their small handheld terminal.

It's absolutely going to take some time but it's heading in that direction.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.