Samsung Pay question

JerseyBiker

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Oct 13, 2015
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Today for the first time I setup Samsung Pay. Everything in the setup process went smoothly. I checked the NFC settings and it was turned off. I assumed that it would have be enabled during the Samsung Pay setup process. So I searched online and I found that Samsung Pay use a system called Magnetic Strip Technology (MST). But apparently it also use NFC so why wasn't it enabled? Do I need NFC enabled or will using MST only suffice? Can having them both enabled at the same time cause any issues? I need to find out from users because all of the technical jargon online is confusing. Thanks
 
From what i have read on this site, I believe it can turn on the NFC if needed. So I don't think you have to leave it on.
 
Today for the first time I setup Samsung Pay. Everything in the setup process went smoothly. I checked the NFC settings and it was turned off. I assumed that it would have be enabled during the Samsung Pay setup process. So I searched online and I found that Samsung Pay use a system called Magnetic Strip Technology (MST). But apparently it also use NFC so why wasn't it enabled? Do I need NFC enabled or will using MST only suffice? Can having them both enabled at the same time cause any issues? I need to find out from users because all of the technical jargon online is confusing. Thanks


SP will turn on NFC automatically when you open the application .

Go here for some good info regarding SP:Samsung Pay - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com
 
I think this is solved but I'll still add that I believe that MST and NFC are completely different methods. I don't think NFC has anything to do with the MST "Swipe equivalent" method. I think NFC is for tap and pay. So far I have only used the swipe equivalent and it is working fine. I could be wrong about this but it may help the OP.
 
This is partly true. I believe Samsung Pay can use either, and will use NFC first if it's available, and MST if NFC fails or isn't available.
 
As others said -- It will use NFC when available. I used Samsung Pay all weekend. Some transactions were through MST and then when the NFC payment pad was available I held my phone up and it worked fine.
 
As others said -- It will use NFC when available. I used Samsung Pay all weekend. Some transactions were through MST and then when the NFC payment pad was available I held my phone up and it worked fine.

This...
 
What I find interesting is how many places I've been where the cashier is astonished by it being used. I am now at 3 straight days where using Samsung pay was a new thing to the cashier.

1) Boutique snack shop
2) Gas station cashier
3) Cafeteria at the office

Hopefully this newness will start to wear thin. Of course the two colleagues I've talked to that have S6s are not using Samsung pay which probably doesn't help (population has the capability but not using it).
 
Thank you everyone very much for the replies. I just got back from using SP so I'm getting some of the replies afterwards. My experience wasn't that great though. First off the main reason I wanted to use SP is for the $30 gift card from Samsung. The promotion ends this week. I chose the Best Buy gift card to use towards a quick wireless charger. Anyway I had planned to go to only one shop but I had to go to three before I found one that worked. The first place was CVS. The lady at the counter told me ahead of time that CVS accepts SP but for some reason they didn't work all the time in that particular store. Sure enough it didn't work and I had to swipe my card. Secondly I went to a Family Dollar a block away that is less than a year old, brand new built from the ground. I figured it had to work there. It seemed like it wanted to work there. Fingerprint wasn't registering or something becasue it asked me for a PIN. I entered the PIN that is on the screen with the card and I got a wrong PIN error. I checked the number and I did have it right but I tried again and received the same message. So for the second time I had to swipe my card. Lastly I went to a Wawa across the street. I bought a candy bar and a soda. Held my phone to the card reader, flipped up the card on the screen pushed the home button and finally paydirt. It took three stores which to me is not good. It would be easier for me to just swipe my card. It's possible I wasn't doing everything quite right also. Well I have my gift card and I'm off to Best Buy. :)
 
Thank you everyone very much for the replies. I just got back from using SP so I'm getting some of the replies afterwards. My experience wasn't that great though. First off the main reason I wanted to use SP is for the $30 gift card from Samsung. The promotion ends this week. I chose the Best Buy gift card to use towards a quick wireless charger. Anyway I had planned to go to only one shop but I had to go to three before I found one that worked. The first place was CVS. The lady at the counter told me ahead of time that CVS accepts SP but for some reason they didn't work all the time in that particular store. Sure enough it didn't work and I had to swipe my card. Secondly I went to a Family Dollar a block away that is less than a year old, brand new built from the ground. I figured it had to work there. It seemed like it wanted to work there. Fingerprint wasn't registering or something becasue it asked me for a PIN. I entered the PIN that is on the screen with the card and I got a wrong PIN error. I checked the number and I did have it right but I tried again and received the same message. So for the second time I had to swipe my card. Lastly I went to a Wawa across the street. I bought a candy bar and a soda. Held my phone to the card reader, flipped up the card on the screen pushed the home button and finally paydirt. It took three stores which to me is not good. It would be easier for me to just swipe my card. It's possible I wasn't doing everything quite right also. Well I have my gift card and I'm off to Best Buy. :)

Are you ensuring to hold it properly over the reader? At first I didn't realize I was holding it kind of off but once I watched a video to be sure .. No issues.
 
It seemed like it wanted to work there. Fingerprint wasn't registering or something becasue it asked me for a PIN. I entered the PIN that is on the screen with the card and I got a wrong PIN error. I checked the number and I did have it right but I tried again and received the same message.

The 4 digit number on the screen isn't a pin. It's the last 4 digits of the temporary credit card number that the terminal gets from your phone. Sometimes when you use a credit card the clerk will have to enter the last 4 digits of the card as an extra security feature.

A credit card shouldn't need a pin. Can the card you were using be used as a debit card? If so, your debit card pin is what it was asking for.

Samsung really should provide more instructions on how to use this system.
 
As others said -- It will use NFC when available. I used Samsung Pay all weekend. Some transactions were through MST and then when the NFC payment pad was available I held my phone up and it worked fine.

What if NFC is toggled off? Does Samsung Pay automatically toggle it on, or do you have to manually toggle it on?
 
What if NFC is toggled off? Does Samsung Pay automatically toggle it on, or do you have to manually toggle it on?

Yep. I keep NFC off and it works when going to pay. Samsung Pay activates it while it is up / ready to be used for payment then puts it back to off afterwards.
 
Are you ensuring to hold it properly over the reader? At first I didn't realize I was holding it kind of off but once I watched a video to be sure .. No issues.

That's very much possible. I'll be aware of that from now on.
 
The 4 digit number on the screen isn't a pin. It's the last 4 digits of the temporary credit card number that the terminal gets from your phone. Sometimes when you use a credit card the clerk will have to enter the last 4 digits of the card as an extra security feature.

A credit card shouldn't need a pin. Can the card you were using be used as a debit card? If so, your debit card pin is what it was asking for.

Samsung really should provide more instructions on how to use this system.

It is a credit card. I may have but I don't remember setting up a PIN for it. I had that account for many years. The only reason usually to use a PIN on a credit card is for ATM withdrawals and I never use credit cards for that. I have two debit cards. One is for an area credit union and the other a national bank, USAA. Neither is supported by SP. I hope they will soon because I really don't like using my credit cards like debit cards.