Which mobile wallet should you choose?
All three tap-as-you-go Pay solutions now available in Singapore
Singapore is one of the first three countries in the world to have access to all three of the latest mobile payment systems - Apple, Android and Samsung Pay.
The arrival of Android Pay two weeks ago gave Singaporeans the trinity of tap-as-you-go solutions where users add their credit cards to their smartphones.
Will it be a case of no more wallets?
Each system has its own pros and cons and ease of use depends on your phone model and credit card's issuing bank.
SAMSUNG PAY
Samsung Pay has been making waves with good reason. It has the best compatibility with available payment terminals because it supports both NFC and the older magnetic-strip type which makes use of the Magnetic Security Transfer technology.
Any machine or terminal that allows the use of magnetic strip cards will allow your Galaxy phone to use it, thanks to the magnetic coil inside high-end Galaxy devices.
Only Galaxy devices like the S6 Edge+, S7, S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 5 can use Samsung Pay.
Compatible Banks:
CitiBank, DBS, OCBC, POSB, Standard Chartered
ANDROID PAY
Singapore is the third country to get Android Pay. Like Apple Pay, it uses NFC technology.
You can capture your card details by taking a photo or by manually entering your data.
It does not require fingerprint authentication. Instead, it requires your phone's passcode or pattern unlock.
Even then, the extra step is only required after every third transaction.
Android Pay does not work with any apps at the moment, though Google says this will change.
To run Android Pay, your phone has to run Android 4.4 or above and have in-built NFC technology.
Compatible Banks:
DBS, OCBC, POSB, Standard Chartered, UOB
APPLE PAY
Launched in the US in 2014, but only reached our shores this year.
Apple Pay uses near field communications (NFC) technology to communicate with contactless payment terminals - the same ones which support Visa Paywave and Master Paypass cards.
Apple Pay can capture your credit/debit card information using the iPhone camera. To make your payment, you have to tap your iPhone at the NFC terminal and then use your TouchID fingerprint to verify your payment.
Some iOS apps also work with this system, such as Uber, a feature unique to Apple Pay.
Apple Pay only works on iPhone 5 and later models, as well as the iPad Air 2 and later models.
Compatible Banks:
American Express, DBS, OCBC, POSB, Standard Chartered, United Overseas Bank (UOB)
IN BRIEF
Samsung Pay has the best compatibility with existing terminals but only works with a limited range of handsets at the moment.
Android Pay works on the most number of handsets, but some users might be concerned over the lack of fingerprint authentication.
Apple Pay has the widest support from banks here and is the only solution currently working with American Express.
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