Samsung Pay: Useful Tool or Cool Novelty?

All points are valid.

My biggest reason for using S Pay is the safety factor. After being skimmed multiple times last year I will gladly use just about anything that will all but guarantee not to be able to have to go thru that trouble.

The time issue is the one part I do disagree. As chip and pin is becoming more abundant it is far faster to use the phone then waiting for the the reader to verify the chip. If I don't have to stick my card into the machine and just swipe it,it is about the same time to pull out the phone vs. wallet
 
I'm 65 and like tech stuff. When first hearing of this years ago with google wallet, I loved the idea of driving up to order at take out and instead of undoing my seat belt, digging to get my wallet out back pocket to pay, just keeping my seat belt on, reaching up into my shirt pocket, opening up my E-wallet and touching the reader, back in my pocket with phone, grab food and driving away. I've been doing that several years now at MDee but no where else. Now, with Samsung Pay I can do it most everywhere I would use my atm check card or visa credit card. Got the new GS7 and I'm using it everywhere (except places you have to stick the card in like gas station) Anyway, it comes with the phone, what is the big problem. Just download the app and use it (if your bank is in the list) Like someone else said prev entry, once you get use to using it you will love it. Yes, it will get better with software updates. It is not a novelty to me but a great tool. I think it is GREAT ! Used last week at MDee, Best Buy, Food Lion, Pilot, KFC. Some clerks were very surprised it worked since they had old card readers just like in the Sub sandwich commercial.Why can't people look from the other perspective on things like this with what is good about stuff instead of what's wrong with stuff. In the old world of nfc readers, it worked at 10% of places because most places didn't have the new readers. Now with Samsung Pay, it will work at 90% of the places because Samsung bought Loop Pay which was the card reader software. Win Win I still have my cards and use them where I need to, but I don't go home crying because I had to. Come on guys, stop whining about everything. Just enjoy it
Progers-

Way to go young man, I'm 71 and had one of the first cell phones, Motorola, Brick, back then it cost you a buck to make a one minute call. I too, have gone through the Google Wallet thing and Android Pay. In my opinion using SP, anywhere from five to ten times a week is a "hoot". I have had a few comments from "teeny" cashiers, such as "way to go sir", "you must keep up with tech stuff." Yes, I do, I love all this stuff. I've had Android devices since Cupcake to Lollipop OS, bring on the new tech for me!
 
The BEST part about Samsung Pay (or Apple or Google's version) is that your ACTUAL credit card info is kept safe! When you pay with your phone it is using a different card number than your actual credit card...one that ONLY works when you use your phone and your phone sends in authorization to pay. If the vendor you are paying at gets hacked, they get NOTHING other than a completely useless number that will not work without your phone!

Of course, it's up to the user to make sure the PHONE is secured properly so no one else can use it...and of course, your card data is stored by Samsung (or Apple or Google)...and that info could, theoretically, be hacked into...but it is a HELL of a lot more secure than just swiping your physical card at every terminal!
 
Same way as if you swiped. You can use your samsung pay or swipe the card. Some retailers don't even need the card so it's automatically put back.
Since samsung pay makes up a new card number for each transaction how can I use my card with its own different number for a return? If I don't know exactly how to do it with phone it benefits the seller not particularly anxious to help me get my money back. In fact I better be able to explain it to THEM.
 
Since samsung pay makes up a new card number for each transaction how can I use my card with its own different number for a return? If I don't know exactly how to do it with phone it benefits the seller not particularly anxious to help me get my money back. In fact I better be able to explain it to THEM.

No, it's not a different card number each time, it's just a different token each time, it's a secondary verification internally used, your virtual card number is the same one since you register the card with your phone.
 
Since samsung pay makes up a new card number for each transaction how can I use my card with its own different number for a return? If I don't know exactly how to do it with phone it benefits the seller not particularly anxious to help me get my money back. In fact I better be able to explain it to THEM.

It's still linked to the same account. For example, I have needed to return an item before on a credit card which had to be replaced due to fraud later on. The new card has a different number, but the retailer was still able to lookup my purchase in their computer (Kohls) using the new card because the accounts are linked. Same here, the temporary number is linked with your actual card number so it doesn't matter.
 
Thanks for the explanation. Sounds right. I hope it works. Unlike many here I only use my credit card for purchases over $100. I would never buy movie tickets or groceries or vitamins with a cc. So if I buy a new cell phone or computer or car with Sammy pay I need to know I can reliably, easily, and in a way retailer cannot say, "I don't know how to do this. It doesn't work for returns" return any big ticket item I need to.
 
may i know why you prefer android pay over samsung pay? If I remember correctly Samsung pay can do NFC payments and MST (magnetic strip) payments. It is actually redundant to have android pay if you have Samsung pay...

Just because some registers are NFC enabled doesn't mean they take both Android Pay and Samsung Pay. I've run into at least one case where I couldn't use MST because the card reader required chip use (if present). That same register did work with Android Pay via NFC. Also, Android Pay does better charge tracking at this point. It provides much more information about where the payment was made.

I did find a way to make both pay systems play nice together. In the NFC settings I made Android Pay the default payment system but told it to use other systems if their app is open. As you had to open the Samsung Pay app anyway to use it this works fine. If I don't open any app and touch the phone to the NFC reader then Android Pay is used. If I open up the Samsung Pay (via the bottom swipe) and give it my fingerprint then I'm ready to go with Samsung Pay and MST.
 
Just because some registers are NFC enabled doesn't mean they take both Android Pay and Samsung Pay. I've run into at least one case where I couldn't use MST because the card reader required chip use (if present). That same register did work with Android Pay via NFC. Also, Android Pay does better charge tracking at this point. It provides much more information about where the payment was made.

I did find a way to make both pay systems play nice together. In the NFC settings I made Android Pay the default payment system but told it to use other systems if their app is open. As you had to open the Samsung Pay app anyway to use it this works fine. If I don't open any app and touch the phone to the NFC reader then Android Pay is used. If I open up the Samsung Pay (via the bottom swipe) and give it my fingerprint then I'm ready to go with Samsung Pay and MST.

I'm confused. Why would Samsung Pay default to MST if NFC is enabled at the register? My understanding is it utilizes NFC if its there and then defaults to MST if not. And any NFC register should work with Android Pay, Samsung Pay, and Apple Pay. They don't distinguish between the apps. If NFC is enabled it should work with Samsung Pay no matter what...I'm a bit confused here what the issue was/is?
 
What about if you return something to the store. If I pay with a card you just use the receipt to return the funds to the card. If you generate a one time number how does their system know where to return the funds?

Edit Others already answered this
 
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What about if you return something to the store. If I pay with a card you just use the receipt to return the funds to the card. If you generate a one time number how does their system know where to return the funds?

It is not a one time number. The number is a permanent virtual number that needs the phone to work. But you can still use your physical card to return it (you can use the phone too) because the numbers are linked
 
Just because some registers are NFC enabled doesn't mean they take both Android Pay and Samsung Pay. I've run into at least one case where I couldn't use MST because the card reader required chip use (if present). That same register did work with Android Pay via NFC. Also, Android Pay does better charge tracking at this point. It provides much more information about where the payment was made.

I did find a way to make both pay systems play nice together. In the NFC settings I made Android Pay the default payment system but told it to use other systems if their app is open. As you had to open the Samsung Pay app anyway to use it this works fine. If I don't open any app and touch the phone to the NFC reader then Android Pay is used. If I open up the Samsung Pay (via the bottom swipe) and give it my fingerprint then I'm ready to go with Samsung Pay and MST.
I'm confused with your answer as well. NFC payments are the same weather you call it android, Apple or Samsung pay.

I have used android pay extensively as well before Samsung pay was available and the details on the charge you made using either systems are the same. Both of them say it's from Android or Samsung pay then tells you the merchant where it came from.

Maybe I didn't understand quite clearly why you prefer android over Samsung pay...
 
I've been using Samsung Pay since I bought my phone in November. It works great. I use it almost everywhere. I've never seen a terminal where I could swipe a card where I couldn't use it. The only times I haven't been able to use it was gas station pumps and bank ATMs. Currently it is far superior to the NFC methods...but only because it will work at all existing "swipe" machines. NFC requires special hardware at retailers. If all retailers had NFC, then maybe NFC would be as good or better.
 
I can't imagine NOT using it. I use it everywhere daily. Much more secure than swiping and super convenient and quick. The best part about using it is when the merchant doesn't think it will work and you surprise them
 
The transaction behind the scenes is actually more secure than swiping. When you use Samsung Pay, each payment is unique to each transaction, and actually uses a different setup of numbers. Meaning, that if anyone wanted to reuse that number, they couldn't because it's tied to that transaction only and cannot be reused.

I never hand my phone over to anyone, if I have to reach around the teller, it just tells me they are not ready to accept these type of payment methods.

Samsung Pay to me is far superior than Apple Pay or Android Pay because it uses the magnetic strip in addition to the standard tap method. This feature is what allows it to be used in most tellers. So far I've been successful in all places that I've tried. And it s more convenient and is faster. Once the card reader interfaces with my phone, the transaction is almost instantaneous, no more waiting for the transaction with a normal credit card.

My $0.02
 
I use it sometimes. I need to remember to use it more. It's most handy when you have a chip card and don't know if the terminal accepts the chip or not. Samsung Pay just works and you don't have to guess and fail how you have to swipe/put in your card.

I've used it probably 50 times total and never once have I had it "fail" or was confused about where to put my phone. It really just works perfectly every time. Now whether it's easier/more convenient for you, I can't really answer that...