Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay
These two never appear on the same phone, which makes this a question about hardware rather than payments. It is still worth answering, because the two payment layers are not equally complete.
Own an iPhone and it is Apple Pay. Own an eligible Galaxy and Samsung Pay is available, but Google Wallet is usually the better default on that hardware — which makes this pairing more useful as background than as advice. Neither charges anything, and at a contactless terminal they behave the same. Of the two, Apple Pay has the wider Australian bank support and the broader online checkout coverage.
Side by side
Neither of these charges the customer a fee of its own, so there is no cost row to compute — what you pay is set by the card or account behind the wallet. The rows above are what actually separates them.
Which one, and when
The phone is already in your pocket
Apple Pay is iPhone and Apple Watch only; Samsung Pay is eligible Galaxy hardware only. No device exists on which you would install one instead of the other, so for most readers this page is context rather than a decision to make.
You own a Galaxy and want the better wallet
Samsung Pay's real rival is Google Wallet, because those two genuinely run side by side on the same handset. That is where a Galaxy owner's decision actually lives, and we answer it on its own page. Apple Pay plays no part in it.
You buy a lot in apps and on the web
Apple Pay's Australian online checkout coverage is broad; Samsung Pay's is partial. Someone whose card use leans heavily towards subscriptions and in-app purchases will meet that difference regularly, even though it is invisible at a shop counter.
You bank somewhere small
Apple Pay's Australian bank coverage is wide and Samsung Pay's is good but narrower. Neither is universal. Customers of smaller mutuals and newer entrants should check the wallet's own supported-banks list rather than assume, whichever device they carry — support gets added quietly and lists go stale faster than reviews do.
Where each one loses
Apple Pay runs on Apple hardware only, and its Australian transit ticketing support is partial where Google Wallet's is complete. It holds no Australian financial services licence of its own; the regulated party is the card issuer behind it.
Samsung Pay is confined to eligible Galaxy devices, reaches fewer Australian banks than Apple Pay, and covers only some online checkouts. Its old magnetic-stripe advantage means nothing in this market.
General information about payment methods available in Australia. Not financial advice. Fees, limits and features change — verify current terms with the provider before acting.