Samsung Pay was launched in India four years ago with support for credit cards and debit cards from various banks and financial institutions. American Express was among those banks that brought Samsung Pay support in the first phase. However, the bank has now announced that it will end Samsung Pay support in the country.
American Express has sent emails to its customers announcing that Samsung Pay will no longer be available on its cards starting October 1, 2021. If you are a Samsung Pay user with an AMEX card, you can continue using it till September 30, 2021. This makes American Express the first bank to end Samsung Pay support in India. The bank hasn't explained why it is taking this step.
With NFC-based payment support expanding rapidly in India and around the world, Samsung has started removing MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) from its smartphones. The Galaxy S21 series lacks MST in some countries, including India and the US. The company has also revealed that its future smartphones won't have MST.
In India, mobile payments have seen a huge jump, especially since the demonetization and COVID-19 pandemic. However, most people use mobile payments through BHIM UPI, Google Pay, Paytm, or PhonePe. Samsung Pay supports BHIM UPI payments as well.
If you are a Samsung Pay user in India, how often do you use the service? Let us know in the comments section below.