The Samsung Pay service has launched in Belarus. Samsung Pay has launched in Belarus: we tell you how you can now pay with a smartphone and watch Samsung Pay in Belarus which banks
Project partner - Samsung Electronics
Immediately after the presentation of the Samsung Pay service in Belarus, I decided to try how it works in real life. I especially wanted to try working with terminals that do not accept contactless cards. After all, this is the main feature that distinguishes Samsung Pay from other payment systems by phone or gadgets: Apple Pay, Android Pay.
Representation Samsung company in Belarus kindly provided this year's flagship for testing - Samsung S8. The very top model, in which the edges of the screen are rounded and the screen is made of scratch-resistant glass.
True, the glass is easily soiled and quickly gets dirty with fingerprints :) There is only one conclusion - you need to keep your hands clean and wipe your smartphone more often.
Having received the smartphone, I inserted my SIM card into it and opened the Samsung Pay application (it is already installed by default).
By the way, at the moment, only Mastercard cards and only three Belarusian banks can be added to the application Belgazprombank, MTBank And BPS-Sberbank(in the latter - the service should start working in December 2017 - website).
First meeting
Adding a map to the application is not easy, but very simple :) Press the button at the top of the screen "Add", and this window opens...
All information on the plastic is scanned, except for the first and last name. The CVC code, which is located on the back of the card, must be entered manually.
After this, you accept the operating conditions of the system...
When you have accepted the terms, the application prompts you to check the card...
By choosing SMS verification, you will receive a code within a minute, after entering which the card will become verified. Now the application opens a window where you need to sign...
All. The card is now linked to the application.
The whole process took no more than 3 minutes, and that was for me, who was busy photographing the screen :)
Experience of use
Well, now, mentally, using a time machine, let’s go back to last week. Then, having received the phone and linked the card to the application Belgazprombank, I went on a business trip to Moscow. That's where I started paying by phone :)
Immediately after arriving I had breakfast...
Please note that the check does not indicate the card number that is “physically printed” on it, but an electronic number. This is also stated in the tip from Samsung...
I wasn’t very confident in making my first payments; sometimes they didn’t go through the first time. All because I placed my phone in the wrong place. By the way, at the pharmacy the payment did not go through twice, and I finally paid for the purchase with a regular bank card...
But as I got the hang of it and made more than 10 payments with my smartphone, the payment problems disappeared on their own. I especially liked that instead of a PIN code, you can log in using a fingerprint.
To do this, you need to add fingerprints in the smartphone settings, and in the Samsung Pay settings enable payment identification using a fingerprint, and not, for example, using the iris. This is done once, even before payments are made.
The payment process itself is also very simple. By swiping up from the bottom of the screen, we “call up” the map. Then we put our finger on the fingerprint scanner on the back of the smartphone...
...and the phone is ready for payment...
In this mode, it periodically vibrates, and the card owner’s signature is visible on the screen and a hint is displayed in the form of a picture - where to place the phone. By the way, the cashiers never asked about the signature.
As you can see, an electronic card number is printed on each check. Except for one kiosk where they gave me a receipt after payment, but there is no card number, it just says "Electronic".
By the way, it is not necessary to save receipts; data on the last 10 payments is stored in the application.
If you need to view older payments, you will have to request a statement in the mobile application or in online banking.
Another useful feature of the Samsung Pay app is the ability to add discount cards to the service. Here they are called "Club cards" Adding is similar to a bank card, only even faster - at least, you don’t need to wait for an SMS.
This is what the discount cards I added look like...
To use a discount card, you need to click on the card and select the button "Click to use." And the application will give you a barcode to scan.
Results
The Samsung Pay app works quite stable. Paying by phone is convenient and fast. Another advantage for me is that I don’t have to hand the card over to the cashier.
And even if the terminal does not support contactless payment by phone, you can still make a payment using Samsung Pay. Tested - it works.
At the same time, when paying at a terminal that only accepts cards with a magnetic stripe, there is usually a wow effect. The cashier first convinces that the payment will not go through, and when it finally goes through, you can admire the surprised expression on the cashier’s face, and then answer the questions: “What kind of card is this? Which bank? What phones can you pay with?”
Here, by the way, is a receipt from a terminal that does not support contactless payment...
Personally, I really liked Samsung Pay technology. I would like as many Belarusian banks as possible to support it. And if the BELKART and VISA payment systems were also connected to Samsung Pay... What else could one dream of? :)
To be continued…
Samsung Pay service with Mastercard cards. Several large banks are connected to the service. One of the advantages of the technology is that Samsung Pay is compatible not only with NFC payment devices, but also with payment terminals that accept bank cards only using a contact chip and magnetic stripe.
photo - Onliner
The service can be used by holders of Mastercard cards issued by MTBank and Belgazprombank, and soon by clients of BPS-Sberbank. Now many banks and a lot of sellers want to start working with the system - it’s convenient and popular. There are no commissions in the system.
A representative of Samsung then stated that the service is available to cardholders of Belarusian banks and users of compatible device models, intended for distribution on the territory of Belarus and Russia. That is, the “American” Galaxy S7, for example, is designed to link American bank cards, but not Belarusian ones. The same situation is with “Polish” devices. As a result, the company received a lot of negative feedback in all possible areas: service centers were simply inundated with complaints on this issue, which is especially relevant for Belarus.
This morning, one of the Samsung Pay users, Roman, told the Virtual Brest portal that it was actually impossible to install the program on his phone, purchased in . Today it worked and the card was successfully linked. A call to the service center confirmed that the opportunity to use the service was indeed “opened” literally tonight. At the same time, as it turned out, this happened in a rather surprising way: somehow a phone with “Polish” (warranty) firmware suddenly switched to the region of Russia and Belarus. The user suggested that the settings had changed due to geolocation, so in which country the phone is physically located, the system it will use.
However, this is still just speculation. The fact is that the system worked, but how remains to be seen. To do this, Roman is going to visit a Samsung service center and check the regional affiliation of his device. By the way, you can change the firmware to Russian, but because of this the owner will lose the warranty, and the device is quite expensive. Therefore, few people dared to undertake such a “feint”. Now everything is simplified, and you don’t need to make any movements, the system itself accepts you in Belarus and identifies you as “one of its own.”
Such unpleasant features with the regional affiliation of phones are related to security. The original card remains hidden, since payment is made using generated tokens. This increases the level of security for the end client. A permanent Internet connection on your smartphone is not required.
The technology is implemented in top smartphones starting with the Galaxy S6: Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy S7 edge and S7, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge (NFC only), Galaxy Note5, Galaxy A7 (2017 and 2016), A5 (2017 and 2016), A3 (2017), Galaxy J7 (2017), J5 (2017), as well as Gear S3 classic, frontier and Samsung Gear Sport (NFC only).
Unfortunately, we cannot yet say for sure whether the system will work on all foreign devices; this issue is being clarified. But in the “Polish” region - for sure. Apparently, the changes were made remotely, without user participation, which is also interesting in itself.
However, simple consent to use Samsung Pay was not enough. The system did not work for everyone; it required configuration and preparation. Let's figure out what Samsung Pay is, what it does, and what it promises.
Samsung Pay, what is it?
This is a payment system using card accounts using a Samsung mobile device instead of a card. The already configured Samsung Pay system is quite simple, but in order to get it working and not be afraid of a catch, it’s worth looking into some theoretical issues.
How can a phone replace a bank card?
If you write the information contained on the card into a mobile device, then devices reading the card will also be able to read the phone.
Samsung Pay works with payment terminals using two technologies:
- Near field communication (NFC) - data transmission over very short distances, acts like bluetooth, but in the “near field”. Accepted by specially equipped new terminals.
- Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) - safe transmission of magnetic field. Works with terminals that accept cards with a magnetic stripe (there are many of them).
Then the payment data is transferred to the bank, verified and becomes the basis for the transfer of money.
Samsung Pay is a program installed on your phone that uses your bank card information for monetary transactions. However, other phone systems and Samsung do not receive information to access the card account money.
How to connect Samsung Pay?
To do this, you just need to consistently and accurately perform certain operations.
- Update the operating system (firmware) of the device to the latest version.
- Create or log into an existing Samsung account.
- Find Samsung Pay on Google Play.
Here, owners of Samsung mobile devices may have a problem - the Samsung Pay program will not appear in the search results. There are 3 reasons for this:
- the mobile device is not suitable for working with Samsung Pay;
- the smartphone (tablet) does not have the original operating system (firmware);
- the operating system is intended for another country (may affect all unofficially imported devices).
- Install Samsung Pay on your mobile device.
Installation occurs automatically, you only need to agree to the terms and conditions and give permissions.
- Launch the Samsung Pay program. Start setting up the program.
A mandatory configuration element is determining the identification method in the system. This can be a fingerprint login, a PIN code, or in some devices an iris scan.
- Add payment cards to the program.
At this stage, Samsung Pay can accept up to 10 cards at a time. Adding a card is possible in two ways:
- scan (photograph) the card in the program;
- or enter card details manually.
The process of adding a card will take a few minutes while the system contacts the bank and the necessary checks and confirmations are completed.
- Accept the user agreement.
- Receive an SMS message from the bank. Enter the received code and send. If necessary, sign.
- Wait for a response and complete registration.
How does Samsung Pay work?
Samsung Pay in Belarus and other countries works according to the same principles, but with its own characteristics and permissions. In each country, Samsung Pay accepts certain cards from banks cooperating with the system and does not accept others. We will talk about this below, but for now we will describe the general payment algorithm with Samsung Pay.
- Open the Samsung Pay application.
- Select a card for payment.
- Log in with your fingerprint or PIN code.
- We hold the phone near the terminal until the operation is confirmed.
- We enter the card PIN code or sign if required by the seller’s techniques and rules.
- We are finishing the operation. We collect the check.
An important practical point - if the payment is made not through NFC, but using MST, then you need to place the phone on the terminal closer to the place where the card is swiped with a magnetic stripe.
You do not need to turn on the Internet to use Samsung Pay. However, for security reasons, banks may require that a mobile device periodically connect to the network. There is also no need to pay for using Samsun Pay.
There are no special restrictions on working with the system. The difficulty when paying with Samsung Pay may be the inability of the seller to accept such payment.
Another limitation is that not all mobile devices, not all terminals, not all cards from all banks are suitable for Samsung Pay.
This requires special consideration.
Which devices support Samsung Pay?
To use Samsung Pay, you need to meet 4 mandatory points:
- the device must support Samsung Pay;
- the bank must work with Samsung Pay;
- the card of this bank must be suitable for Samsung Pay;
- the payment terminal must be equipped with NFC or MST.
The last item on the list will have to be clarified with the seller, but you can inquire about the first three in advance.
What devices work with Samsung Pay?
Works with all terminals:
- Galaxy A3 (2017);
- Galaxy A5 (2016);
- Galaxy A5 (2017);
- Galaxy A7 (2016);
- Galaxy A7 (2017);
- Galaxy A8;
- Galaxy A8+;
- Galaxy J5 (2017);
- Galaxy J7 (2017);
- Galaxy Note 5;
- Galaxy Note 8;
- Galaxy S6 edge+;
- Galaxy S7;
- Galaxy S7 edge;
- Galaxy S8;
- Galaxy S8+;
- Galaxy S9;
- Galaxy S9+;
- Gear S3.
They only work with terminals equipped with NFC.
In the photo: Elena Demidenko, BPS-Sbenbank, Igor Bychek, MTBank, Alexey Golub, Samsung Electronics, Nina Willems, Mastercard, Mikhail Fedoseev, Mastercard, Alexander Sotnikov, Belgazprombank.
Samsung and the Mastercard payment system announced that the Samsung Pay mobile payment service is now available in Belarus.
Starting today, the service can be used by holders of Mastercard cards issued by two Belarusian banks - MTBank, Belgazprombank, and soon - BPS-Sberbank. It is also expected that other financial institutions in Belarus will join the service in the future.
– We note a growing interest among Belarusians in contactless payment technology, because often the phone is at our fingertips, allowing us to pay for goods and services comfortably and safely. – commented Executive Director of BPS-Sberbank Elena Demidenko.
A Samsung representative demonstrates the ability to pay with Gear S3 watches
The advantage of Samsung Pay technology is that you can pay with a smartphone not only in those terminals that have contactless NFC technology, but also in those that simply have a magnetic stripe.
The technology is supported not only by flagship smartphones, but also by “A” and “J” series smartphones. To start paying with a smartphone in Belarus, you don’t need to perform complex actions - the whole process will take literally a minute. You need to open the Samsung Pay application; if it is not there, you need to update your smartphone firmware to the latest version. In the application, you need to add a fingerprint or PIN code, add a card, wait for bank confirmation - and you can start paying.
In addition, you can pay at retail outlets using GearS3 watches, and you don’t have to have a phone nearby.
Please note that Samsung Pay in our country will only work with smartphones made for the Russian and Belarusian markets, which is due to the payment security policy.
It is worth noting that Belarus has become the fifth country in Europe where the service was launched in partnership with Mastercard.
– We are very glad that Samsung Pay has come to Belarus, because it is the most convenient, simple and secure service that allows users of not only Samsung smartphones, but also Gear S3 devices to easily make purchases and pay for services at any terminal that accepts bank cards, – noted Alexey Golub, head of Samsung Electronics Rus Company in Belarus.