Digital Payments is an effort to all of us, that allows you to make payments at any local and online store via your mobile phone (smartphone) via NFC. The Near Field Communication (NFC) is a communication method between two devices, and it works to read and send information via radio waves.
Today, every smartphone users are aware of NFC and their usage. And over 30% of people are using smartphones to make payments in online or local stores. If you are a tech geek, then you will know very well about it, there are plenty of payment methods available on the market, and they also offer a high-grade security feature, so that users can make payments more securely without any problem.
Today, there are three top best digital payment methods available in the market, such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay, each payment method are very popular and comes with plenty of features so that user can easily use these payment methods on their smartphones.
Apple Pay is the first Mobile Payment solution that was launched in 2014 by Apple Inc. for all Apple users so that the user can make payments using their Apple Pay at the nearest local store or any online store. After Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay were launched. And today,
Android Pay and Samsung Pay have become more popular than Apple Pay. Because there are over two billion active users of Android, and Apple says, that there are over 77 million users that are using the iPhone. As we all know Android is the most popular and widely used operating system on a smartphone, which offers full freedom to the user to control and customize the smartphone.
Like Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay, both are payment systems designed to let the user make payments while shopping via their mobile phones instead of credit or debit cards. Here, in this article, we have mentioned the complete information about these three payment systems along with the Pros and Cons.
So, check out which one is the best that you want to use as a default payment system on your device.
Google Pay vs Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay
| Feature | Samsung Pay | Google Pay | Apple Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Samsung devices | Android devices | Apple devices |
| Payment Methods | Credit/debit cards, loyalty cards, UPI | Credit/debit cards, PayPal, UPI, and more | Credit/debit cards, Apple Cash, and more |
| NFC Payments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MST Payments | Yes (Select Samsung devices) | No | No |
| In-App Payments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Online Payments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Peer-to-Peer | Yes | Yes (through Google Pay Send) | Yes (through the Messages app) |
| Loyalty Integration | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Gift Cards | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Security | Tokenization, PIN, fingerprint | Tokenization, PIN, fingerprint, Face ID | Tokenization, Face ID, Touch ID |
| Supported Countries | Various | Various | Various |
| Wearable Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Payment Website | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Apple Pay:
Apple Pay, a prominent player in the realm of mobile wallets, offers a streamlined payment experience for a range of Apple devices.
Initially introduced in 2014 alongside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay has since expanded its compatibility to encompass a wide array of Apple devices, including the iPhone SE, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, among others.
With the simplicity and convenience that Apple users appreciate, Apple Pay serves as a seamless payment solution, facilitating both online and in-store purchases. Leveraging NFC technology, this payment system ensures secure and swift transactions, not only through iPhones but also via the Apple Watch.
Whether shopping for groceries or exploring online retailers, Apple Pay offers a hassle-free method to make payments effortlessly, solidifying its status as a trusted digital wallet solution.
Pros
With Apple Pay, you will get the support of plenty of banks, which means, Apple Pay is supported in over 27 countries and territories. And Apple has also expanded to over 50 per cent of all retailers.
Now, Apple Pay supports almost all banks in the US, so users can use Apple Pay easily and without any problem, and they can also add multiple cards without any limitation to their Apple Pay account. For security, Apple Pay uses a Fingerprint ID to verify your identity, and after the verification, you can make a payment.
Cons
The biggest issue with Apple Pay is, that it only supports their own devices and apps. Outside of the limitation, you can’t use Apple Pay to make payments.
Google Pay
Formerly known as Android Pay, Google Pay has become a globally recognized and widely embraced payment solution. Its popularity stems from its compatibility with diverse payment methods, offering a seamless experience across various systems. This versatile platform enables users to effortlessly conduct transactions at local brick-and-mortar stores as well as online retailers that support Google Pay.
The transition to Google Pay has propelled its user base to exceed billions, demonstrating its ubiquity for payments within Google services, local establishments, and online marketplaces.
In regions like India, Google Pay provides the convenience of direct bank integration through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), allowing users to initiate payments using their UPI credentials. Moreover, Google Pay extends its usability to Android Wear smartwatches, expanding its reach beyond smartphones.
Whether it’s for online purchases, supported applications, or websites, Google Pay remains a reliable choice. Notably, Google Pay has introduced its UPI-based payment service in India, collaborating with the Indian government’s Unified Payments Interface to facilitate mobile-to-bank transactions.
Google Pay enhances accessibility by integrating with NFC-enabled ATMs, enabling users to withdraw funds without a physical card. Similar to Apple Pay, the platform accommodates the storage of multiple gift cards and retailer rewards cards.
In essence, Google Pay has evolved into a versatile and user-centric payment solution that seamlessly adapts to modern financial needs.
Pros
As we have mentioned above Apple Pay is restricted to a limited number of devices, such as Apple iPhone, iPad, iMac, etc. But Google Pay supports all NFC-based Android smartphones and allows you to make payments. Unlike Apple Pay, Google Pay works on most Android NFC-based Android smartphones and Android-wear-based devices.
Google Pay also supports the PIN passcode instead of Fingerprint, if your device has not Fingerprint scanner. In the US, over 1000 banks and other finance units support Android Pay. Additionally, over 1.5 million retail stores are also supporting Google Pay as an alternative payment system.
Cons
As we have mentioned above Apple Pay supports all the Major Banks in the US, but Android Pay does not support all Major Banks, and this is the only drawback of Android Pay. To get rid of this, you will need to use both Android Pay and Apple Pay.
Samsung Pay:
Samsung Pay is the most advanced and highly featured Payment system from Samsung and supports all the recently launched Smartphones such as Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, Galaxy S9, and S9 Plus, etc. Along with these smartphones, Samsung Pay also supports the Android Wear devices such as Samsung Gear S2 and S3. With Samsung Pay, Users can easily make payments on all NFC-based terminals.
But the User can also make payments on that POS system which supports the older Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology. But to use this feature, make sure that you are using one of the recently launched Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
Samsung has put in a magnetic coil inside some of its recent Galaxy smartphones, which allows you to make payments without NFC using “Magnetic Secure Transmission” (MST) technology. Additionally, Samsung Pay can also add every card with a barcode, so that users can add multiple cards such as loyalty cards, membership cards, and rewards cards to their Samsung phone or any wearable device.
Unlike Android Pay, Samsung Pay supports over 1700+ banks and other credit units. And on Samsung Pay, the user can add any cards issued by the partner banks.
On Samsung devices, Samsung Pay supports multiple security checks that users can set to verify their identity before making the payment. And in these security features, the user can set Fingerprint, Iris, and Pin, on their Samsung device to make their every transaction fully secure and safe.
Pros
The biggest advantage of using Samsung Pay is that users can easily use it on both NFC-based POS terminals and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology-based POS terminals without any problem.
So, if you are using any of the recently launched Samsung Galaxy smartphones, then Samsung Pay can be the best option for you.
Cons
The biggest drawback of Samsung Pay is that it only works on recently launched Android-based Samsung smartphones.
To use Samsung Pay, you will need to use any of the recently launched Samsung smartphones that support NFC or Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology. You frequently get popups but that can be managed easily.
Conclusion
As you have seen the top three major mobile payment systems, and each payment system has their advantages and drawbacks too. Regarding the features and security checks, these all are the best Mobile Payment systems that users can easily on their smartphone to make payments at any local, online store.
In terms of compatibility, Samsung Pay is the perfect payment system, but only with the recently launched Samsung smartphone. So, what do you think about these three major payment systems, tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.
