Samsung Pay in Australia
Samsung Pay is the third major mobile wallet available to Australian consumers, behind Apple Pay on iPhone and Google Wallet on Android. It runs only on Samsung devices, which means it competes for the same Android user base as Google Wallet but with a narrower device footprint and some Samsung-specific design choices. For most Samsung phone owners in Australia, the practical question isn't whether to use Samsung Pay or Google Wallet (you can use either or both on the same phone) but which is the better fit for your specific use case.
Samsung launched Samsung Pay in Australia on 15 June 2016, with American Express and Citibank as initial partners. The Big Four banks added support progressively over the following years. Coverage today is broad but slightly narrower than Apple Pay or Google Wallet. The transit story is where Samsung Pay's limits are most visible: as of 2026, the only Australian public transport network with full Samsung Pay support is Opal in NSW. Melbourne's Mobile myki isn't available, despite ongoing customer requests. Adelaide and Brisbane contactless work through tokenised card payments but without native transit pass integration.
Where Samsung Pay does shine is in the features that Apple Pay and Google Wallet don't try to match: Mobeam barcode scanning for loyalty cards (which lets your phone present a barcode that physical retailer scanners can read directly), Iris Scanner authentication on older Note and S8/S9 series devices, and tighter integration with the broader Samsung Wallet for digital IDs, gift cards, and tickets.
This page covers what Samsung Pay actually offers Australian users, where the bank coverage sits, why the transit limitations matter for Melbourne and Brisbane users, the unique features that make Samsung Pay worth keeping if you're already in the Samsung ecosystem, and where it falls short.
Quick facts
How Samsung Pay works
The tokenisation model is structurally identical to Apple Pay and Google Wallet. When you add a card to Samsung Pay:
- Your card details are sent to your card-issuing bank for verification.
- The bank generates a Digital Card Number (the token) unique to your specific Samsung device.
- The token is stored in your device's secure element. Your real card number isn't on the device after setup.
When you tap your Samsung phone at a contactless terminal:
- The terminal requests payment via NFC.
- Your phone presents the Digital Card Number plus a one-time cryptogram.
- Fingerprint, Iris Scanner (where available), or device PIN authenticates the transaction.
- The transaction routes through Visa, Mastercard, American Express or eftpos to your bank.
- Your bank authorises the payment from your underlying card account.
The user experience differs from Apple Pay and Google Wallet primarily in the activation gesture. Samsung Pay traditionally activates with an upward swipe from the bottom of the screen, which brings up your default card. Apple Pay and Google Wallet both activate via the lock screen or via NFC proximity. This swipe-up gesture is one of Samsung Pay's distinctive design choices.
Internet connection isn't required to make a payment because the token cryptogram is generated on the device. Samsung Pay periodically downloads fresh tokens via the internet, so the device needs to connect occasionally, but each individual transaction can happen offline.
Samsung Pay's AU rollout history
The Australian launch in June 2016 came roughly a year after Apple Pay arrived (November 2015) and shortly before Google Pay (then Android Pay) launched in mid-2016.
June 2016. Samsung Pay launched with American Express and Citibank as initial Australian partners. The launch devices were Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, Note 5, S7 and S7 edge. Samsung described Australia as "a market of early technology adopters" and positioned the launch as part of a multi-country Asia Pacific rollout including Singapore.
2017-2019. Bank coverage expanded gradually through the Big Four and major regional banks. Coverage tracked roughly behind Apple Pay's rollout but more aligned with Google Pay's faster expansion. By 2019, most major Australian retail banks supported Samsung Pay.
2020-2022. Samsung consolidated Samsung Pay, Samsung Pass and other digital services into Samsung Wallet, a unified app for payments, passes, gift cards and identification. Samsung Pay continues to operate as the payment portion within Samsung Wallet.
2024-2026. Bank coverage broadened to include most credit unions and neobanks. Transit support added contactless EMV through Samsung Pay on Opal in NSW. Mobile myki support remains a customer request without a roadmap.
AU bank coverage
Bank coverage is good but slightly narrower than Apple Pay or Google Wallet, which both achieved earlier and broader coverage in the Australian market.
Big Four banks. CommBank, Westpac, NAB, ANZ — all four support Samsung Pay. CBA supports CBA Debit Mastercard, CBA World Debit Mastercard, personal and business credit cards, corporate credit and charge cards, and Visa Business Debit cards. Westpac, NAB and ANZ support comparable card portfolios.
Major regional and digital banks. Macquarie, ING, Bendigo, Bank of Queensland, Suncorp, Heritage, Bankwest, Citi Australia, American Express direct.
Credit unions and mutual banks. Many credit unions support Samsung Pay including Regional Australia Bank, Qudos Bank, Beyond Bank, P&N Bank, and others. Coverage is broad but not quite as universal as Apple Pay among the smaller institutions.
Neobanks. Up, 86 400 (now NAB), and various challengers support Samsung Pay through their app integrations.
Specialist institutions. Most insurance-linked card products, prepaid travel cards (Wise, Revolut), and business banking products from major banks support Samsung Pay.
Card type notes. Some banks apply specific limits to Samsung Pay transactions on certain card types. For example, CBA applies a A$100 transaction limit to Visa credit cards issued to additional cardholders. These limits don't typically apply to primary cardholders.
If a specific card doesn't add to Samsung Pay in 2026, it's usually a niche specialist product, an additional-cardholder card with specific restrictions, or a very small issuer that hasn't yet implemented Samsung Pay support.
The transit limitation
This is the section where Samsung Pay's narrower scope matters most for AU users.
Opal (NSW). Samsung Pay works for contactless transit payments on the Opal Network. The transaction uses your tokenised card the same way Apple Pay or Google Wallet does, and contactless fares match standard adult Opal fares. The Galaxy Watch series supports Samsung Pay for Opal taps. NSW Transport for NSW lists Samsung Pay alongside Apple Pay and Google Wallet for contactless transport in Sydney, the Hunter, Illawarra, Blue Mountains and major regional centres.
myki (Melbourne). This is the gap. Mobile myki, which has been available on Google Wallet since March 2019, is not available on Samsung Pay. Samsung community forums have included repeated user requests dating back to at least 2021, and Samsung's own moderators have acknowledged the requests with standard "we'll forward your feedback" responses. The reason isn't publicly stated, but it likely relates to the contractual arrangements between PTV, NTT Data and Google that govern Mobile myki implementation. For Melbourne Samsung phone users who want myki on their phone, the practical solution is to install Google Wallet alongside Samsung Pay (Android allows multiple wallets) and use Google Wallet specifically for Mobile myki.
A workaround flagged by PTV: on Samsung phones that have both Samsung Wallet and Google Wallet installed, set Google Pay as the default tap-and-pay app (Settings → Apps → Default Apps → Tap & Pay) to ensure Mobile myki taps register correctly at myki readers.
Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay. Contactless EMV at validators works through Samsung Pay using your tokenised card.
Brisbane (TransLink). Contactless EMV rolled out across most modes in 2024, with Samsung Pay support via tokenised card.
Perth (Transperth). Limited contactless card support; smart-ticketing system development ongoing.
In practice, the transit gap means Samsung-phone users in Melbourne either dual-wield Samsung Pay and Google Wallet, or stick with a physical myki card. Both are reasonable solutions but neither is as elegant as the native Mobile myki integration Google Wallet provides.
Where Samsung Pay genuinely shines
Four scenarios where Samsung Pay is the right choice, especially over Google Wallet on the same Samsung device.
Iris Scanner authentication on supported devices. Older Samsung Note and Galaxy S series phones (Note 7 through Note 9, S8 and S9 series) included an iris scanner that some users prefer for biometric authentication. Samsung Pay supports iris authentication where the hardware allows. Newer Samsung devices have shifted to fingerprint and face unlock, dropping iris from the design.
Mobeam barcode scanning for loyalty cards. This is a genuine Samsung-specific feature. Mobeam uses light pulses from the screen to simulate a barcode that can be read by physical retailer barcode scanners, including older POS systems that don't accept smartphone screens with regular barcode display. This means your Samsung phone can scan loyalty barcodes at scanners that wouldn't recognise a barcode shown on an iPhone or non-Samsung Android. The feature is increasingly less relevant as retailers move to NFC-based loyalty integration, but in many Australian shops it still matters.
Galaxy Watch transit and payments. The Galaxy Watch series integrates Samsung Pay tightly for both general contactless payments and Opal transit tap-on. Samsung's wearable strategy has historically been ahead of Apple's in supporting transit card storage on the watch itself, though that gap has narrowed in recent Apple Watch releases.
Samsung Wallet ecosystem integration. Samsung Wallet (which now includes Samsung Pay) supports passes, gift cards, transit cards (where available), digital identifications, and event tickets in one app. For users heavily in the Samsung ecosystem, the integration is tighter than running Google Wallet alongside Samsung's other apps.
Setting up Samsung Pay
Three steps.
Step 1. Open the Samsung Wallet app (or the Samsung Pay app on older devices). Sign in with your Samsung Account ID. Register a fingerprint and your device passcode. On older devices with an iris scanner, you can also register iris authentication.
Step 2. Add a card. Scan the card with your phone's camera or enter the card details manually. The details are sent to your card-issuing bank for verification.
Step 3. Your bank verifies and confirms via SMS code, in-app notification, or quick call. The Digital Card Number is generated and stored in the device's secure element. The card is ready to use.
For Galaxy Watch users, the card is added via the Galaxy Wearable app on your paired phone. You can add the same card to your phone and your watch; each device generates its own unique Digital Card Number.
Security and privacy
Samsung Pay's security model is structurally equivalent to Apple Pay and Google Wallet, with Samsung-specific implementation:
Tokenisation. Your real card number isn't on the device after initial setup and isn't shared with merchants. Each device generates its own Digital Card Number.
Multi-factor authentication. Fingerprint, Iris Scanner (where supported), or device passcode/PIN. Every transaction requires one of these.
Samsung Knox. Samsung's hardware-level security platform (Knox) protects the secure element where tokens are stored. Knox provides a degree of tamper resistance and isolation from the rest of the operating system.
Find My Mobile. If your Samsung device is lost or stolen, Samsung's Find My Mobile service can remotely lock the device, erase all data, and suspend Samsung Pay.
Privacy from Samsung. Samsung doesn't track individual transactions or share them with third parties. Your card-issuing bank processes transactions; Samsung's role is the secure element and the user experience.
Privacy from merchants. Merchants see the Digital Card Number plus a transaction-specific cryptogram. Real card details aren't shared.
Where Samsung Pay falls short
Samsung devices only. Switching from a Samsung phone to any non-Samsung Android device (Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi) means switching to Google Wallet. Samsung Pay doesn't run on competitor Android phones.
Narrower bank coverage than Apple Pay or Google Wallet. Universal among Big Four and major banks, but slightly narrower among the smallest credit unions and specialist institutions.
No Mobile myki. The most significant practical gap. Melbourne Samsung phone users need Google Wallet for native myki.
Limited transit beyond Opal. Adelaide and Brisbane work through tokenised card payments but without native transit pass integration. Other Australian transit networks may or may not have full Samsung Pay support depending on local implementation.
MST not useful in Australia. Samsung Pay historically distinguished itself with Magnetic Secure Transmission, which let the phone emulate a magnetic stripe at terminals that didn't support NFC. This was relevant in markets like the US where magnetic stripe readers persist. Australia moved to chip-and-PIN and contactless-only long ago, so MST is rarely useful here.
Older devices losing support. Some early-generation Samsung Pay devices have lost software support over time, particularly the Gear S2 and S3 smartwatches and early Galaxy S6 models. Always check current device compatibility before relying on Samsung Pay on older hardware.
Lower user awareness. Many Samsung phone users in Australia default to Google Wallet without realising Samsung Pay is also available. This isn't a product limitation but does mean network effects (like merchant familiarity) tend to favour Google Wallet on Android.
How Samsung Pay compares to alternatives
Against Google Wallet, the two are direct competitors on Samsung Android phones. Google Wallet has broader transit support (Mobile myki, particularly), broader bank coverage at smaller institutions, and a more open device footprint (any Android phone, not just Samsung). Samsung Pay has Iris Scanner authentication on older devices, Mobeam for legacy barcode scanners, and tighter Samsung Wallet integration. For most Melbourne users, Google Wallet wins on the Mobile myki factor alone. For Sydney users without specific transit requirements, the choice depends on which app the user prefers aesthetically.
Against Apple Pay, the comparison is platform-bound. Apple Pay works only on Apple devices; Samsung Pay works only on Samsung devices. AU bank coverage is roughly equivalent. Apple Pay's Opal Express Mode (tap without unlocking) is more polished currently than Samsung Pay's equivalent. Samsung Pay's Galaxy Watch integration has historically been stronger than Apple Watch for transit, though this gap has narrowed.
Against PayID and Osko, the comparison is structural and complementary. Samsung Pay is for tap-and-go merchant payments using your existing card. PayID and Osko are for person-to-person and arbitrary bank-to-bank transfers. Most Samsung users in Australia use Samsung Pay (or Google Wallet) alongside PayID for different transaction types.
Against a physical contactless card, Samsung Pay wins on security (tokenisation, biometric authentication, remote lock), on additional pass storage (loyalty, gift cards, transit where available), and on the convenience of not carrying a physical wallet.
For a method-by-method comparison, see our e-wallet fees and speed comparison.
Frequently asked
This guide is general information about payment methods available in Australia. Samsung Pay and Samsung Wallet are trademarks of Samsung Electronics. Bank-specific terms, fees and features apply to the underlying card; check your card-issuing bank for current details. For our editorial standards, see <a href="/how-we-rate/" style="color:#A0522D;border-bottom:1px solid #E3CDB4">How We Rate</a>.