Samsung has now added support for Cornercard UK cards to its Samsung Pay digital wallet application, according to a new announcement from the Korean tech giant. That means that users in the UK who currently use one of Cornercard’s credit or debit cards can now access and pay with those via Samsung’s tap-to-pay feature anywhere mobile wallet payments are accepted. Moreover, it paves the way for users to take advantage of the company’s unique approach to those types of payments thanks to its use of Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). In short, that allows a wider array of businesses since it works with standard NFC terminals and with terminals have magnetic strip readers. Users simply need to add their card within the application itself and then access the app either directly or by swiping up from the bottom edge of their Samsung phone. From there, it’s just a matter of tapping a compatible terminal at the register.
Samsung Pay is currently supported on Samsung’s Galaxy S9, Galaxy S7, and Galaxy S6 devices, including the Galaxy Note 7. The smartphone manufacturer hasn’t explicitly said whether Cornercard UK accounts will be compatible with the app on its upcoming Galaxy Note 9 phablet but it’s safe to assume that it most likely will. The app is also compatible with the company’s Samsung Galaxy A8, 2017 editions of the Galaxy A5 and A3, and Samsung Gear S3 or Gear Sport smartwatches. Aside from bringing more options for mobile payments, security is also arguably a bit better with Samsung Pay. Authentication is required for every purchase via fingerprint, PIN, or iris scanner on devices that ship with one. Once the device is tapped to finalize the payment, an encrypted digital token is used in place of card information to complete the transaction.
With that said, one caveat the company notes is that corporate cards are not supported at this time. Support for those may be added in the future but there’s no timeframe given for that. Of course, users will need a data connection to complete transactions and tap-to-pay doesn’t work at all unless used at retailers with compatible NFC or MST payment options and it’s worth noting that some retailers require a minimum purchase.