Samsung has announced that it will launch its mobile web payments service called “Samsung Pay Mini” in South Korea in first quarter. It will allow users to make transactions online, however, the offline payments will remain exclusive to Samsung’s smartphones. There are no words on whether the company will expand this service in other countries.
All Android smartphones will support Samsung Pay Mini in the company’s home country. The app will be available to download soon on Play Store. Smartphones running Android 5.0 or above will be able to install and run the app.
The service is just like Samsung’s existing Samsung Pay payments system which allows users to transact at stores offline via credit/ debit card using Magnetic Secure Transmission. Users can also make NFC payments using the Samsung Pay. However, only Samsung smartphone users can use the free service without paying any extra penny as Samsung does not collect any extra charges from users.
Apple Pay and Google’s Android Pay are already in the market, so to compete with the rivals, Samsung seems to expand its services to attract more customers.
Company will be launching the demo version on February 6 to give a taste of Samsung Pay Mini to other Android smartphone users. It will be available on Play Store to download and install. It will be a demo version, the full version will be releasing later within the on-going quarter. Your smartphone must have a minimum resolution of 720×1280 pixels to be able to make use of the service.