Samsung Gulf Electronics has announced that its Samsung Pay users in the UAE will now be able to use this method of payment at checkouts online, not just in-store, to mark the first anniversary of its flagship mobile payments service.

The UAE is the first country in the Middle East where this latest feature of the flagship mobile payments service has been enabled, following successful launches in the US, Russia and Singapore.

Samsung Pay has entered the world of eCommerce through the CCAvenue payment gateway in tandem with Mashreq Bank, the leading gulf-based financial institution.

The service is compatible with all major operating systems and browsers (both desktop and mobile) as well as through mobile apps, making it easy to use Samsung Pay from virtually any desktop, tablet, or mobile browser, no matter where you are. Simple, secure and available virtually anywhere, the Samsung Pay service can now be used to pay for an even larger variety of goods and services than before, with previous benefits now also applicable for online shopping.

“We are delighted to announce this new feature to the Samsung Pay service, which will enable USERS to use their mobile wallet for even more transactions moving forward. We are proud to have both simplified online purchases for our users and to have given them extra peace of mind with the additional security that Samsung Pay provides,” said Mohammad Gharaibeh, head of Enterprise, Mobile Business at Samsung Gulf Electronics.

Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers. Initially, the new service will be facilitated in the UAE through Samsung’s regional payment gateway partners like CCAvenue.

CCAvenue develops in-house proprietary payment gateway solutions that redefine user experience, enhance transaction success rates and increase the earning potential of its customers exponentially.

Vivek Nayak, director - Operations, Avenues World said: “At CCAvenue, we constantly strive to stay ahead of the curve by providing our merchants with access to the latest payment technologies. By integrating Samsung Pay on our advanced platform, CCAvenue ensures that a large number of consumers can use their favourite gadgets to complete payments on leading gulf-based websites easily and securely.

“Moreover, our synergetic partnership with Samsung, the global technology giant, will open up a larger customer base for these websites, enabling them to expand their digital businesses considerably.”

Pankaj Kundra – head of Payments, Retail Banking Group at Mashreq Bank said: “Ecommerce will be a mega trend for businesses in the UAE and the market is expected to be valued at $10 billion by 2018. Mashreq has been at the forefront of this growth and is one of the fastest growing ecommerce merchant acquirers in the region.

“We are focused on continuing to expand the scope of payment solutions and adding value to our merchants. I am confident that the launch of this feature will provide a seamless payment experience to the customers across mobile and web channels.”

Samsung Pay could be enabled on the desktop or mobile device by selecting Samsung Pay from the payment options, and enter one’s Samsung account number and clicking ‘Request to Pay’. The user will receive a notification on their Samsung Pay-enabled device, through which they can select their bank card of choice and authorize the transaction using their PIN or iris/fingerprint scanning, a statement said.

On a mobile device, simply select Samsung Pay as the payment method on the mobile browser or in-app payment screen. Samsung Pay will verify the retailer automatically, then one can select their bank card of choice and authorize the transaction with the same easy, one-step process, it added.

Samsung Pay users who have eligible devices would have to install or upgrade their existing Samsung Pay app to get this feature enabled. Users would require to add a bank card from supported banks.

In the UAE, Samsung Pay is currently available for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Note 5, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 (2016) and Galaxy A Series (2017). Samsung Pay is also available for the Gear S3. – TradeArabia News Service