Samsung is set to officially launch its new mobile payment system, Samsung Pay, next month, but the company has announced that users can register for a beta of the system starting today.
The beta is open for users of the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ or Note 5, and is available for all major carriers in the U.S. except Verizon. So, if you're on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or even U.S. Cellular, you can now register for the Samsung Pay beta.
"The future of mobile payments has arrived," said InJong Rhee, global head of Samsung Pay, in a statement. "We are partnering with card networks, issuers and acquirers, and Samsung Pay will also be the first to support contactless payment for store-branded credit cards. The list of partners will only grow."
Verizon isn't taking part in the beta, and it seems as though the company might miss out on the launch of the platform altogether, only announcing that it was "evaluating" Samsung Pay at this time. With a launch set for Sept. 28, the mobile provider is certainly cutting it close.
It's also important to note that those wanting to take part in the beta program will need a debit or credit card from either Bank of America (Visa or MasterCard) or U.S. Bank (Visa only). Samsung is likely looking to find more partners in the coming month. Last but not least, just because a user has the right phone, is on the right carrier and has the right bank doesn't mean they will be accepted into the beta program. The company is only accepting a limited number of participants.
The announcement highlights the growing competition when it comes to mobile payments. Apple obviously has a huge headstart when it comes to mobile payments, but both companies are obviously catering to different people — Apple to iPhone users and Samsung to Galaxy users. Not only that, but Google is set to launch a new mobile platform of its own, called Android Pay, which will debut in Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Via: The Verge
