Ahead of the launch of its Galaxy 8, Samsung has announced a partnership with Westpac so that Australian customers can utilize Samsung Pay with their new smartphones.
CNET reports that the deal with Westpac makes it the first major bank in the country to join the Samsung family. While Apple’s rival Pay service has partnered with ING Direct, Macquarie and other smaller banks, it hasn’t been able to strike any deals with Australia’s major financial institutions: Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.
Samsung Pay has already partnered with Citibank and American Express to bring its mobile payments platform to MasterCard, Visa and Amex card holders. It is also compatible with a range of Galaxy devices, including the Gear 3 smartwatch and upcoming S8 range.
Contactless payments are the preferred method for transactions in Australia, so this deal with Westpac will give Samsung a boost over its competition. Customers can add cards to their Galaxy device with a simple tap, and the Galaxy S8’s new security offerings feature an iris scan as well as traditional fingerprint and PIN to authenticate transactions.
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