When Samsung Pay launched in South Africa in August 2018, I was thrilled, until I discovered that my bank – FNB – wasn’t one of the supported banks.
That’s finally changed with today’s announcement from FNB that both FNB and RMB Private Bank customers who own a compatible Samsung smart device now have the option to use Samsung Pay at almost any payment terminal in South Africa.
Raj Makanjee, FNB Retail CEO, says, “As leaders in digital innovation, we are consistently looking to provide customers with a wide selection of digital payment options as secure and convenient alternatives to cash. Customers want the liberty to choose and switch between various payment options that complement their digital lifestyles. Over the years, we have remained at the forefront of digital innovation while empowering customers with the power of choice. We are delighted with the rate at which our customers continue to embrace digital payments.”
“Samsung Pay is the latest partner wallet to be enabled by FNB, following last year’s successful launch of both Garmin Pay and Fitbit Pay. In addition, FNB remains the only bank in Africa to allow customers to make contactless payments via any compatible Android smartphone, using FNB Pay on the FNB App. The Bank’s support for Samsung Pay, coupled with the recent launch of the new Scan to Pay feature on the FNB App, provides its customers with even more choice when it comes to digital payments,” says Jason Viljoen, Head of Digital Payments for FNB.
“Our partnership with FNB is a giant step towards the acceleration of digital payments adoption and excellence in South Africa. We believe that the combination of mobile technology, cost efficiency and the buying power of consumers will significantly propel the adoption of safer alternative payments. Samsung Pay gives users full control of their digital payment journey by ensuring all transactions are secure and authenticated by the user. Featuring Samsung’s defence-grade, Samsung Knox security platform and biometric authentication through iris or fingerprint scanning, users can have peace of mind that their personal payment information is safe,” says Justin Hume, Director of Integrated Mobility for Samsung South Africa.
FNB customers can download the Samsung Pay App from the Google Play store, register or login if they already have a profile, scan their Cheque or Credit (FNB Business Credit Cards excluded) cards with the camera, select the preferred method of authentication and verify the details to begin making payments.
Samsung Pay can be used on the following devices: Galaxy S10+, S10, S10e, Galaxy Note 9, Note 8, S9/S9+, S8/S8+, S7/S7 edge, A8 (2018), A7 (2017) and A5 (2017), Galaxy Watch, Gear S3 Watch and Gear Sport Watch.