Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our content.
Banks with Samsung Pay in Ireland
Does your bank have Samsung Pay? Find out in this guide.
Samsung users can use the Samsung Pay app to make secure, quick and easy contactless payments in-store and online using just their smartphones – no debit card required.
It’s not yet available to use in Ireland but before it launches here, check out our guide to find out how it works and where you can use it.
Banks that offer Samsung Pay
At the time of writing, there are no banks in Ireland that offer Samsung Pay. You can find other options with our list of banks that support Apple Pay and banks that support Google Pay.
What is Samsung Pay?
Samsung Pay is an app that lets you make payments inside stores and online with your Samsung phone, instead of using your physical debit card. The app securely stores digital copies of your various bank cards, such as your debit and credit card, allowing you to hit the shops without your physical wallet or any cash on you at all.
Just like regular contactless tap and go payments made with your debit card, you don’t need to enter a PIN for transactions under a specified amount. Samsung Pay is fast, easy to use and allows you to leave the house with just your phone in hand and still make purchases.
Are Samsung Pay and Android Pay different things?
Yes. Android Pay was the digital wallet solution built by Google, and it has since rebranded to be called Google Pay. If you’ve got a compatible device, you could use either Samsung Pay or Google Pay on your Android phone. However, as Samsung Pay is currently not available in Ireland, you’ll be limited to Google Pay and the app your bank supports.
How does Samsung Pay work?
Samsung Pay uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which enables your Samsung smartphone or Gear smartwatch to communicate with a payment terminal when used to tap and pay. This is also how contactless purchases are made with debit cards. When you tap and pay with Samsung Pay, the card details are securely transferred to the EFTPOS terminal using NFC, allowing the transaction to take place without the need to swipe a physical debit card. Both Google Pay and Apple Pay also rely on NFC technology.
Where can you use Samsung Pay?
Although not yet available in Ireland, Samsung Pay is accepted at millions of locations worldwide in all stores that already accept contactless payments with traditional debit and credit cards. If you see the contactless payment symbol or the Samsung Pay logo, you’ll be able to use Samsung Pay to securely tap and pay for transactions up to a certain limit without using a PIN.
Countries that accept Samsung Pay include:
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Brazil
- Australia
- South Africa
- Italy
- Sweden
- Canada
- China
- Malaysia
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Russia
- United Arab Emirates
- Singapore
Which devices support Samsung Pay?
Samsung Pay is compatible with the following devices:
- Galaxy Note9
- Galaxy S9+
- Galaxy S9
- Galaxy Note8
- Galaxy S8+
- Galaxy S8
- Galaxy S7 edge
- Galaxy S7
- Galaxy S6 edge
- Galaxy Note5
- Galaxy A8+
- Galaxy A7 (2017)
- Galaxy A5 (2017)
- Galaxy A5 (2016)
- Galaxy A7 (2016)
- Galaxy A9 Pro
- Galaxy J7 Pro
Is Samsung Pay safe?
Once Samsung Pay is available in Ireland and you use it to make payments with your device, you’ll still be covered by the same fraud and security protections that your bank normally offers. The app won’t store your payment information, nor will it share your bank account details with merchants when you eventually come to make a payment. When you do make a payment, the app will generate a random unique number for the transaction instead of your real debit card number.
If you were to lose your phone and someone found it, they wouldn’t be able to use it to make purchases. This is because every transaction made using Samsung Pay requires you to enter a PIN code or use your fingerprint to verify it’s actually you in the first place. Plus, you can also delete the details in your Samsung Pay account remotely, if you were to lose your phone.
Pros and Cons of using Samsung Pay
Pros
- You’ll be able to use it to make purchases in-store, within apps and online
- It’ll be safe and secure, and your card details won’t be shared with merchants
- You won’t have to carry around cash or your debit card when you’re out and about
- A select range of Samsung smartwatches and phones support Samsung Pay
Cons
- No banks in Ireland currently support Samsung Pay
- You’ll need an eligible Samsung device, so it’s more limiting than Google Pay, which works on a large range of Android devices
What is Apple Pay and Google Pay?
While Samsung Pay is for Samsung devices, Apple Pay is the contactless payment app for Apple devices. Apple Pay can be used on a range of eligible iPhones as well as compatible Apple Watches. Apple Pay is just as secure as Samsung Pay and requires users to either enter a PIN or use their iris scan or fingerprint to verify a payment.
Google Pay is the digital wallet solution developed by Google and is the consolidation of Android Pay and Google Wallet. Google Pay is perhaps less limiting than both Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, as it’s supported by a large range of Android devices.
Bottom line
Once Samsung Pay is supported in Ireland, you’ll be able to make contactless purchases in-store or online using just your Samsung device. But until then, you’ll have to use an Android alternative such as Google Pay.
Compare a range of banks in Ireland
1 - 11 of 11
More guides on Finder
-
What is a standing order?
Confused between direct debits and standing orders? We explain the difference and show you how to create and cancel a standing order.
-
Best bank account for teens in Ireland
Find out about bank accounts for teenagers, how to choose the right one and how they differ from kids’ prepaid cards.
-
Foreign currency accounts in Ireland
International banking transactions can be made easy with the help of a multi currency account. If you find that you are consistently trying to manage currencies other than the Australian dollar, then consider banking your money in this type of account.
-
Best budgeting apps in Ireland
Discover how to save money when you use these handy money-saving apps.
-
Cashback incentives: What is cashback?
Discover how you can get your money back with a cashback incentive.
-
The A to Z Guide to Bank Fees
Reads our A to Z guide on all the fees you could be charged on your bank account – and how you can avoid them.
-
Using a debit card abroad
A debit card with little or no international transaction fees makes it a great option to use abroad. We look at the pros and cons of using a debit card abroad.
-
Banks in Ireland
A comprehensive list of the banks in Ireland.
-
Contactless payments in Ireland
Making contactless payments are simple. But are they safe and which banks offer tap-and-go technology? Find out in our useful guide.