Samsung Pay makes European debut in Spain

Samsung Pay
EURO DEBUT: Spanish consumers can now make mobile payments with Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay has begun rolling out across Spain, making it the first European market where the mobile payment service is available. The service has launched with support from CaixaBank and ImaginBank and will also be available for customers of Abanca and Banco Sabadell “soon”.

“Users can download their CaixaBank and ImaginBank debit or credit cards on their smartphones in order to make payments,” Samsung says. “Samsung Pay is compatible with all stores that already have contactless terminals and the company is working closely with leading businesses from retail, food and service stations and parking services sectors to create value-added services for their customers.

“This includes well-known brands like Cepsa, Cervecería La Sureña, Domino’s Pizza, El Corte Inglés, Fridays, Ginos, Grupo DIA, MediaMarkt, Mercadona, Phone House, Repsol, Rodilla, Saba, Starbucks, The Good Burger, The Wok, VIPS, VIPSmart, 100 Montaditos, with more to follow in due course.”

Turning point

“In particular, El Corte Inglés will become the first issuer of private cards in Spain to offer its customers the opportunity to join and pay via Samsung Pay,” the company adds.

“Samsung collaborates as a technology partner with the Museo Nacional del Prado’s sponsorship program and customers will also be able to use Samsung Pay at this renowned cultural institution.”

“We are proud that Spain is the first European market to introduce Samsung Pay, an innovative new service that we believe will mark a turning point both in Spaniards’ payments behaviour and the evolution of the payments market as a whole,” says Celestino García, corporate vice president of Samsung Spain.

“The opportunity for Samsung Pay in Spain is significant, due to the high smartphone penetration rate and the digitalisation of the banking sector. Moreover, according to recent research commissioned by Samsung, nearly six in 10 Spaniards are interested in incorporating a secure, simple and widely accepted payments service like Samsung Pay into their lives.”

Samsung Pay currently supports eligible credit and debit cards from more than “200 major global and regional banks,” according to the company. The service is currently live in South Korea, the US and China. Samsung Pay announced its global expansion plans during a keynote at Mobile World Congress in February 2016.

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