Mobile payment apps are amazing tools to help you safely, securely, and easily make transactions with your phone while on the go. You've heard of mobile payment apps, and you're wondering how they work and which is the best one for you. In this article, I'll compare Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay and show you how they work.
| Feature | Apple Pay | Samsung Pay | Google Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MST | No | Yes | No |
| Cash back | Yes | Yes | No |
| Rewards points | No | Yes | No |
| Multiple cards | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rewards cards | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android | No | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | No | No |
NFC Technology
Most of the time, mobile payment apps like Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay use a technology called near field communication (NFC). When you connect a debit or credit card, you can use your phone to pay for things just by holding it up to a payment terminal. Once your device sends the signal to the terminal, it will process the charge, so you don't even have to take out your card.
NFC is a very close proximity radio standard that allows phones to communicate with each other, as well as with terminals and NFC tags. NFC tags can be read only by certain readers, such as those on your smartphone. They can be used as simple labels or even accessibility aids.
Brand Specific Apps
Apple Pay and Samsung Pay are different from Google Pay because they are specific to a narrow set of cell phones. Apple Pay will only work on iPhones, while Samsung Pay will only work on Samsung smartphones.
Google Pay, however, works on any Android smartphone with NFC hardware, making it the most versatile, in terms of compatibility.
For each app, you'll need an account with the proper service provider. For Apple Pay, you need an Apple ID, Samsung Pay a Samsung account, and Google Pay a Google account.
Security
Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay all have pretty top notch security, as they need to meet special mobile payment standards. Before you can use each service at a payment terminal, you'll have to unlock your phone. This ensures that if your phone is stolen, the thief can't easily use it to pay for anything.
When it comes to security, we think that the best choices are the iPhone 11 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20. Both have facial recognition and fingerprint sensors to make secure payments easier and faster.
Safety
Mobile payment apps are important because they reduce the amount of things you touch when you shop. When trying to reduce potential exposure to COVID-19, mobile payment can be very helpful because you don't have to touch the credit card terminal at checkout. You can simply hover your phone over the terminal to process your payment.
Wearable Compatibility
Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay all work on their respective smartwatch brands. However, you'll need to make sure that you have a lock-screen on your wearable device. This can be a bit troublesome for a watch, but if you choose to use mobile payment, a lock-screen will help to keep your money secure.
Can You Register Multiple Cards?
Yes, all three can use multiple credit cards, debit cards, and even gift cards. You can also select a default card, so you don't have to select one every time.
Rewards Options
Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay have options to add rewards cards to your digital wallet, so you can get benefits for using the app. You can add these unique store rewards cards to the app, just like a gift card.
Samsung Pay is unique because each time that you pay, Samsung Rewards points are added to your account. These can be redeemed for gift cards, digital content, and even devices sold by Samsung like phones, earbuds, and televisions.
In Samsung Pay, you can swipe from the left to find the Samsung Rewards menu. Here, you can see how many points you have and what you can redeem them for. You can also redeem them for sweepstakes entries or apply them directly to devices, under the coupon codes section.
You won't need too many points to get started with the sweepstakes, but you will in order to redeem devices. If you need just a few more to reach your goal, you can also buy them from the app.
Cash Back
Samsung Pay and Apple Pay allow you to get cash back at certain retailers, but Google Pay does not. By shopping at certain stores, you can get a small percentage of money back from your purchase. Keep in mind, this varies from store to store.
To receive cash back, you'll need to make sure that you have a valid debit card added to your account. Don't forget to check which stores have cash back options available.
Samsung Pay And MST
Google Pay and Apple Pay use NFC technology, but Samsung Pay can use a unique option called MST. Magnetic secure transmission, or MST, mimics the magnetic signal that a credit card uses when swiped at a terminal. You can use it at any terminal, not just NFC ones. This makes it much more versatile than other apps like Google Pay and Apple Pay because you can theoretically use it anywhere that has a credit card reader.
Which Mobile Payment App Is The Best?
If you're using an iPhone, Apple Pay is pretty much your only option. However, it is still a capable, secure, and fast service. It also synergizes well with the rest of Apple's software arsenal, so using Apple Pay will contribute to a consistent experience across all of your iPhone's apps.
Samsung Pay is an excellent choice for Samsung users because of its versatility and the added bonus of cash back and rewards points. While Google Pay is available for all Android devices, including Samsung phones, it isn't as feature rich.
When comparing Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, the differences are marginal and dependent on the device you are using. It really is up to you to decide which one you prefer.
Secure Phone = Secure Payments
If you're using an older Android or iPhone, you may want to upgrade to maintain fast and secure transactions. Use our cell phone comparison tool to find the phone that's right for you! Use the filters above the tool to select the brand you'd like and start browsing!
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Now you know everything you need to about the differences between Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay. We hope this article was useful and that you'll share it with a friend who might find it helpful. If you have any questions about how to use any of these payment apps, please leave a comment down below.
