Rumor has it that Samsung Pay could launch in the UK when May 16th rolls around. An earlier report released late last year pointed to a 2017 UK release without listing down a concrete date. If this rumor turns out to be true, then those in the UK would finally be able to see the Samsung Electronics-backed mobile payment and digital wallet service debut. After all, Samsung Pay had already gone into operation in South Korea and in the U.S. since the third quarter of 2015. The arrival of Samsung Pay in the UK would be yet another available option for vendors and businesses who have already made the jump to operate within a cashless environment. Right now, Samsung Pay will work with the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Active, Galaxy S6, Gear S2 (with NFC only) and Gear S3.
Samsung Pay supports the idea of contactless payments thanks to NFC (Near-Field Communications), while including an electromagnetic transmission system. This electromagnetic transmission system is able to further expand the reach of Samsung Pay as contactless payments will be made available on older payment terminals which come with solely MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) capability. MST emulates the typical credit card transaction, but it is safer as the physical credit card does not have to be shown to the cashier during the payment process.
Do take note that this is just a rumor, and nothing has been officially confirmed as of now. When two different Samsung representatives were asked about the availability of Samsung Pay in the UK, the same date was given: May 16th. This is an informal double confirmation from the South Korean conglomerate, so it would be best to wait for an official statement or press release concerning this affair. With the purported release date being slightly more than a couple of weeks away, it would take a little while longer to see whether such a rumor turns out true or otherwise. The arrival of Samsung Pay in the UK would be a nice addition to other cashless payment systems that are already in operation.
