This service lets users make payments using compatible phones and other Samsung-produced devices. Similar to Google Pay, Samsung Pay is also a mobile payment and digital wallet service developed by Samsung Electronics and is exclusive to Samsung devices. However, it also remained in service until Google decided to merge them.

There was already a version of payments implemented by Google called Google Wallet, and Android Pay was its natural evolution. So it’s just that little bit slicker to use, especially if you’re travelling via the TFL in London.Google Pay, formerly known as Android Pay, was first launched in 2015. While Apple Pay requires you to validate every transaction, once you’ve approved a payment on Android Pay you won’t have to use authentication for purchases under £30. There’s no need to open up the app every time you make a payment. Then you can just hold your phone up to a card reader and whisper ‘Alohomora’. To get Android Pay, you’ll need to download its app from the Google Play Store and add then register your compatible MasterCard or Visa card. So if you bought your blower in the last three years it should work just fine. Only a NFC-compatible smartphone that’s running on Android KitKat. Unfortunately, there’s still no news about when Android Wear watches will support Android Pay, but Google’s payments scheme is slightly more simplistic when used with a smartphone.įor starters, you don’t need a fingerprint scanner to take advantage of Android Pay. Paying for impulse buys with an Apple Watch is similarly straightforward – you just double-press the side button, then hold the watch so it faces the reader. It’s just like magic, only Harry Potter never had to cough up his Knuts when casting ‘Expelliarmus’. You then just hold your phone in front of a compatible terminal, as you would with any contactless card, and you’ll be prompted to scan your fingerprint via Touch ID to complete the transaction. The feature is baked into Apple’s iOS operating system allowing you to add a compatible debit or credit card via its pre-installed Wallet app. Using Apple Pay on an iPhone 6 or a more recent model is near-on effortless.

Samsung pay v apple pay