Cardholders in Qatar will now be able to use the Samsung Wallet, following a partnership between the electronic manufacturing conglomerate and Mastercard.
Samsung’s digital wallet solution allows mobile payment services and more, to complete secure contactless payments at several online, on-site and in-store outlets around the world.
Customers need to download the Samsung Wallet App from Galaxy Store to activate the wallet. They must then log in to their Samsung account directly from Samsung Wallet App and set their PIN and fingerprint. Finally, customers tap ‘add card’ to scan or manually enter their Mastercard card number.
Following the announcement, Samsung explained it is to introduce a number of new features in the near future. Featuring sensitive documents including IDs, electronic keys, boarding passes and more, is also set to come to the platform. The manufacturing giant expects the capabilities of Samsung Wallet to continue growing as it continues collaborations with the likes of Mastercard.
Mandar Karkhanis, head of MX sales at Samsung Gulf Electronics, gave his view on the move. He said: “Our partnership with Mastercard is a critical step for the brand as we continue expanding our outreach to consumers in the region so they may avail of next-generation payment solutions.
“We are currently working to maximize traffic by adding even more features to Samsung Wallet for our customers to benefit from seamless journeys, both in and out of the digital sphere. We look forward to this next step with Mastercard.”
Not only protected by its Knox-based security technology, the Samsung Wallet platform also uses a range of hardware features. The technology protects sensitive information stored on the device. These features include fingerprint recognition alongside encryption. The platform also replaces sensitive data with unique identification symbols to protect against both physical and digital hacking attempts.
MENA continues to adopt digital payments
Earlier this year, Mastercard’s New Payments Index 2022 detailed the uptake in using digital payments across the Middle East and Northern Africa. The report highlighted that 19 per cent of consumers in MENA had used less cash than in the previous year.
Meanwhile, almost six in ten (59 per cent) of MENA consumers felt safe using apps to send money to people or businesses from their phones. It is clear that many consumers in the region are now much more comfortable. The move makes it easier for Mastercard cardholders to access a popular format of digital wallets, catering to the growth and popularity of digital payments.
Erdem Çakar, country manager of Qatar and Kuwait at Mastercard, also spoke on the partnership. He said: “We are delighted to join forces with Samsung to introduce Samsung Wallet in Qatar, further accelerating the market’s digital transformation journey.
“Mastercard’s New Payments Index found that 85 per cent of people in MENA have used at least one emerging payment method in the last year, signalling a clear move to a more digital, more connected future.”
