Be the first, order the brand new Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, order the KING Galaxy S24 Ultra!

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.

News For You
News For You
Notifications

First impressions of using Samsung Pay in India: It does ‘just work’

Pay
By 

Last updated: March 21st, 2017 at 17:26 UTC+01:00

“No sir, there is no Paytm support.” “Sorry sir, it won't work.” “Sir, this machine doesn't support phone payment.” Those are some of the reactions I have received ever since I started using Samsung Pay at stores here in India following the launch of the payment service in an early access program. The first week was frustrating, too. Samsung Pay worked twice at my favorite restaurant, but not anywhere else.

The reason? Well, it was because I was following Samsung's illustration in the Samsung Pay app, which says the phone should be placed on the top of the card reader/payment terminal, too literally. Most of the terminals I tried either said there was a card detection error, and a couple of machines simply blinked each time I placed the phone on them. But the second week saw me going from “meh, this thing sucks” to repeatedly telling (and annoying) my friends that I had just made another payment using Samsung Pay.

Here's a video of a transaction I made using Samsung Pay while purchasing the Galaxy A7 (2017) (note that card detection happens instantly on most machines, especially those that aren't wired to the retailer's payment terminal):

My opinion changed once I realized that placing the phone against the side of the machines is what it work properly, as that is where credit and debit cards are swiped to initiate transactions (NFC-enabled machines, however, should work by placing the phone on top). I also realized that the upper half of the S7 edge is where the MST chip resides. I was trying to align the display on the card readers squarely with the center of the phone, so there were a higher number of failures than I would like to admit in the beginning.

The bigger problem was the unwillingness of a few shopkeepers to let me try paying through the phone. This was likely because very few card readers in India work on NFC. As a result, those who have tried using their banking apps at these stores would have failed to make payment, which, in turn, must have suggested to the storekeepers that paying through mobile devices doesn't work with their payment terminals.

These stores did let me try Samsung Pay, but their lack of enthusiasm meant I didn't try more than twice before turning away in dismay, which is why it took me an entire week to figure out the proper way of operation. Well, that and the fact that India is a densely populated country and has considerable queues in big stores, so I wasn't willing to hold up the folks behind me just so I could try this new way of payment and possibly suffer the wrath of a few impatient shoppers.

samsung-pay-2

The solution, no doubt, is educating stores and their cashiers about Samsung Pay, something the Korean giant has clearly not done at this point. Maybe it is because the service hasn't launched for everyone yet, but it's a step the company should be taking from the very beginning so that there are no holdups for people who do try to pay with their Samsung phone. The fact that many retailers were quick to point out that they don't support Paytm (a popular online payment wallet in India) as they realized I was bringing my phone close to their payment terminals is the only indication we need that this is not something that will be immediately successful.

Well, at least not in a market like India, where cash payments still rule the roost, even despite the government's recent push towards digital payments. Also an obstacle is the fact that the Samsung phones that support Samsung Pay are all mid-range and flagship devices, which don't sell in high numbers compared to the company's budget handsets. There have to be enough people out there trying this out to bring it to the limelight. It has been rumored that Samsung Pay could come to the Galaxy J lineup, so there is hope, and the public release of the service should also bring a positive effect.

But whatever the problems, you have to try Samsung Pay to see just how effortless it is. Samsung's decision to support MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) was clearly a home run, as the service supports every single payment terminal/card reader out there as long as it supports credit and debit cards. I have seen cashiers at the stores I visited smile after being impressed with what I had pulled off, and the fact that I no longer have to reach for my wallet (and then put the thing back in my pocket) makes these payments a very convenient affair. It helps that most of the major Indian banks are supported already, with more to come in the future.

I'm still bringing my wallet into stores as there is always a possibility Samsung Pay won't work, but I'm looking forward to the day I can simply carry my phone around to buy things. In fact, such a day might not be far as Samsung Pay hasn't once failed for me in the last week. Samsung's biggest (and perhaps only) task is to bring stores around the country up to speed. Marketing the thing out on the streets will also help, and I suppose the only reason Samsung isn't doing that right now is that it is testing the waters before it makes a big move.

Have you tried using Samsung Pay since it went live in India? How has the experience been? Let us know by getting a conversation going in the comments!

Pay India
Galaxy AI summarized

Scroll for more related content
News For You

You might also like

Galaxy A25 could be launched in a blingy color

Galaxy A25 could be launched in a blingy color

Samsung usually launches its Galaxy A series phones in fun color options, and this year hasn't been any different in that regard. The Galaxy A25 was introduced in three color variants, but the South Korean firm isn't done yet. It is preparing to launch the Galaxy A25 in a blingy new color. Galaxy A25 could […]

  • By Abid Iqbal Shaik
  • 13 hours ago
Galaxy Ring is launching in India soon

Galaxy Ring is launching in India soon

When Samsung launched the Galaxy Ring a few months ago, it was only available in a handful of countries, including the USA and some European nations. Recently, the company expanded its availability to Australia, and now, the South Korean firm is ready to launch the Galaxy Ring in India. Galaxy Ring India launch to happen […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 2 days ago
Galaxy S24 FE now available for purchase in India

Galaxy S24 FE now available for purchase in India

Samsung is now selling the Galaxy S24 FE in India following a weeklong pre-order period. The latest Fan Edition phone from the Korean giant has the same price tag as its predecessor. The Galaxy S24 FE sports 8GB of RAM with 128GB or 256GB of storage. The 8GB+128GB variant costs INR 59,999 and the 8GB+256GB […]

  • By Abhijeet Mishra
  • 1 week ago
Galaxy Z Fold 6, Flip 6 get massive discounts in India

Galaxy Z Fold 6, Flip 6 get massive discounts in India

India’s festive season is right on the doorstep. With that, many brands and e-commerce platforms in the country are offering massive discounts on many products. One of them is Samsung. Last week, the South Korean tech giant announced the Fab Grab Fest in the country, where it is offering lucrative benefits on many models. Now, […]

  • By Abid Iqbal Shaik
  • 2 weeks ago
Galaxy M55s gets a significant price cut in India on Amazon’s sale

Galaxy M55s gets a significant price cut in India on Amazon’s sale

Last month, Samsung launched the Galaxy M55s in India, a slightly modified variant of the Galaxy M55. Back then, the company priced it at INR 19,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model, and INR 22,999 for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage version. Well, it hasn’t even been a month since then and […]

  • By Abid Iqbal Shaik
  • 2 weeks ago
Galaxy Z Fold 3, Flip 3 One UI 6.1.1 update out in the US, India, and more

Galaxy Z Fold 3, Flip 3 One UI 6.1.1 update out in the US, India, and more

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 started receiving the One UI 6.1.1 update this week. Initially, availability seemed to be limited to Europe, but it turns out the update is out in many regions. Never has a One UI update rolled out in as many markets on the same day as […]

  • By Abhijeet Mishra
  • 2 weeks ago