Samsung Pay is now being beta-tested in the U.S. The new digital payment method will be available to select owners of Galaxy devices including the S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, and the Note 5.
Samsung Pay allows users to upload credit card information to their phone and use it as a way to pay at credit card-accepting retailers. Samsung claims that users can pay with their phone at 90 percent of retail locations in the U.S.
The new payment feature is an attempt to compete with Apple, Google, and other tech companies that have recently launched phone-based payment systems. It’s worth noting that unlike Apple Pay, which allows users to make purchases in stores and within native mobile apps, Samsung Pay is only for making purchases at physical retailers.
For now, the beta is selectively open to device owners with credit and debit cards from US Bank and Bank of America, according to the blog Droid Life.
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Samsung is expected to formally launch the new payment feature on September 28, 2015. For more on Samsung Pay, check out our past coverage.
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